[Billthedrill]

Critical Legal Theory has been around for longer than Critical Race Theory and explains in part why the latter has so roared through the legal institutions. Full explanation is beyond a simple FR posting but the gist of it is that all law is defined as the act of an oppressor class to keep another class down - identification of these classes with race is what sets CRT apart, but it's exactly the same mechanism. Social justice is defined as using the institution to reverse the identities of oppressor and oppressed - there is no attempt to create an even playing field because such a thing has been defined out of existence as illusory. It is law itself that creates such inequities.

The Wiki article on the topic is in my view overly sympathetic and blind to the negative consequences of putting this form of social theory into practice. But if parts of the legal system in America now look to be grossly tilted, they are, it's deliberate, and this is why.

[livius]

Interesting. I’d never heard of Critical Legal Theory before, but it looks like it’s been percolating along under the radar…outside of public consciousness, at least…for some time now.

And you’re right, it definitely laid the groundwork for CRT, which I guess you could describe as its social partner, extending the theory to society and social institutions in general.

I bet Merrick Garland is fully versed in CLT.

Thanks for posting.