In this seminar, we will investigate how apparently universal trends in modern family relationships (the demand for easy access to divorce, non-married cohabitation, the rise in extramarital births, the growing recognition of same-sex relationships, single-parent families etc.) are handled by a variety of legal systems; what other countries' legal responses to these issues tell us about their respective legal cultures; and what American law can learn from foreign experiences. A student's previous exposure to some family law course will be helpful but is no pre-requisite. Readings: Mary Ann Glendon, The Transformation of Family Law, and xeroxed materials.
Markovits, Inga