Legal criticism as storytelling

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • O'Byrne, Shannon

• In this paper, the author discusses the use of storytelling by certain members of the Critical Legal Studies Movement (CLS). She describes the stories told by three CLS scholars and offers the thesis that the methodology and attitudinal perspective present in their narrative voices promote a program to unmask, demystify, contextualize, and reform the law as well as to act as a foil to traditional legal scholarship. In this regard, the use of storytelling as a component in CLS' methodology is impressive and effective. However, the author also questions CLS' use of storytelling as a rhetorical device and subtextual strategy against counter- argument. To this extent, the author contends, CLS disregards the very standards and values of its own critique. | Dans cet article, l'auteure discute de l'utilisation des r6cits par certains membres du mouvement Critical Legal Studies. Elle dicrit les ricits de trois universitaires membres de ce mouvement et soutient que la mdthodologie et la perspective personnelle utilisdes dans ces narrations visent 4 ddmasquer, demystifier, mettre en contexte et reformer le droit et aussi a mettre en contraste les recherches juridiques traditionnelles. A cet dgard, l'utilisation des rdcits comme gliment de la mdthodologie du mouvement est impressionnante et efficace. Cependant, l'auteure met aussi en question cette utilisation des r6cits comme procjd6 rhitorique et comme stratigie qui repose sur un texte sous-jacent servant a r6futer une argumentation opposie. En difinitive, l' auteure soutient que le mouvement ne tient aucun compte de ses propres normes et valeurs en mati~re de critique.

• Date created

  1991

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Canadian Law

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3N01077N

• License

  © 1991 Shannon O'Byrne et al. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.