Publisher's Synopsis
The Law and Identity Reader: Cultivating Understanding, Agency, and Advocacy guides readers through the development of civic understanding, beginning with individual identity. The book has been designed to encourage dialogue about what makes civic change possible and the challenges that must be overcome so that everyone can be included in this change.
The main themes of the anthology focus on active democracy, civic agency, and civic advocacy. These are examined through legal cases such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Marbury v. Madison, and Brown v. The Board of Education, seminal writings including Federalist Paper No. 47 and Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, and readings on originalism, social class, and land reform.
Rooted in transformative learning theory and social movement research, The Law and Identity Reader places learners in the forefront and includes opportunities for dialogue and self-reflection. This anthology is well-suited to courses in civic engagement, law and society, governmental institutions, and democratic theory.
Jason Leggett earned his law degree, with concentrations in social justice and community development, at the Seattle University School of Law. He passed the New York Bar Exam before joining the faculty of Kingsborough Community College. His research focuses on the rule of law and cultural issues within law and society.
Helen-Margaret Nasser is the director of the Student Union and Intercultural Center at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a bachelor's degree from McGill University (Canada) in political science and international development studies and a master's degree in political science from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York where she concentrated on Middle East identity and civil society politics.
