In this seminar, we will examine the complex relationship between literature and the law from three different perspectives. First, we will examine the law as a genre of literature by reading several works of legal writing, such as the Code of Hammurabi, sections of the Old Testament, and the Constitutions of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Iraq. Second, we will read important works of literature that rely on legal practice, forensic analysis, or trial procedure to communicate their message, including Aeschylus' Oresteia, Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and Kafka's The Trial. Third, we will integrate our study of these two bodies of writing by delving into theory by Freud, Foucault, and others, about the cultural significance of the law, as well as the co-evolution of legal consciousness and literary craft. In addition, our work in this seminar will include several films that dramatize legal procedure, as well as a trip to an actual courtroom, where we will watch the real-life drama of a trial in progress. All readings in English. Format: seminar. Evaluation will be based on thoughtful and timely preparation for class, several shorter writing assignments, and a final research project. Prerequisites: a 300-level literature course or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 10).