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Legalistic Individualism: An Alternative Analysis Of Kagan's Adversarial Legalism, Michael Dominic Meuti

UC Law SF International Law Review

An underlying ethos of American law is that an adversarial setting is a prerequisite for proper resolution of a dispute. But is that accurate? Comparative scholars have illustrated the diversity of methods available. In Adversarial Legalism, Robert Kagan considers the merits of these alternative systems. Although the book is not intended as a comprehensive agenda for reform, Kagan's message is clear: our procedures and methods for resolving disputes are a matter of choice, no matter how natural or entrenched they may appear to be. To the extent they do not serve us well, we should exercise our ability to make …