Criminal Law Commons^™

The Law As A Path To The World, Francis A. Allen

Michigan Law Review

Many years ago the late Mr. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes observed: "The law is a small subject (though ... it leads to all things) .... " The comments that follow are an elaboration of Justice Holmes's theme. It will be asserted that one characteristic of legal studies, properly pursued, is that they lead to a fuller understanding of the larger world of which the law and its institutions are a part. Because the law leads to a larger world of persons, events, and ideas, it claims the attention even of those possessing no interest in acquiring professional legal skills. This …