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Is There a Modern Legal Culture?
Author(s) -
FRIEDMAN LAWRENCE M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
ratio juris
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.344
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1467-9337
pISSN - 0952-1917
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9337.1994.tb00172.x
Subject(s) - legitimacy , legal culture , individualism , globalization , convergence (economics) , political science , legal realism , law and economics , sociology , power (physics) , law , legal profession , economics , politics , physics , quantum mechanics , economic growth
. This essay argues that there are certain traits which, taken together, characterize modern legal systems, and are reflexes of modern legal culture. Modern law is rapidly changing; it is dense and ubiquitous; the basis of its legitimacy is instrumental; it stresses fundamental human rights and is strongly individualistic; lastly, the globalization of law leads to a process of convergence among legal systems. These traits also produce structural changes in legal systems, for example, an increase in the power and activism of courts.