Legal Theory Lexicon

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832).
See Legal Theory Lexicon 008: Utilitarianism

When you study law, you come across legal theory terms  (often drawn from economics, philosophy, or political science). If you aren't fluent in this language, it can be a bit bewildering. And if you are familiar with these concepts, you might be hungry for more depth.

Georgetown law professor Lawrence B. Solum has created the Legal Theory Lexicon to help you out. Entries explain concepts and provide bibliographies for further reading.

Some of the entries will be especially helpful to first-year students, e.g.:

• Legal Theory Lexicon 001: Ex Ante/Ex Post
• Legal Theory Lexicon 002: The Coase Theorem
• Legal Theory Lexicon 003: Hypotheticals
• Legal Theory Lexicon 004: The Reasonable Person
• Legal Theory Lexicon 005: Holdings
• Legal Theory Lexicon 052: Property Rules and Liability Rules
• Legal Theory Lexicon 054: Standards of Review

By the way, Prof. Solum's latest article was in the Washington Law Review's symposium, Artificial Intelligence and the Law. See Lawrence B. Solum, Artificial Meaning, 89 Wash. L. Rev. 69 (2014).

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Graphic credit: engraving by W. H. Worthington, from Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation 10 (1823 ed.), available in British Library's Photostream.