Inventing American Exceptionalism: The Origins of American Adversarial Legal Culture, 1800–1877

When Americans imagine their legal system, it is the adversarial trial—dominated by dueling larger-than-life lawyers undertaking grand public performances—that first comes to mind. But as SLS professor and award-winning author Amalia Kessler reveals in her new book, it was only in the turbulent decades before the Civil War that adversarialism became a defining American practice and ideology, displacing alternative, more judge-driven approaches to procedure.

Join fellow alumni and Professor Kessler for lunch and a presentation in the Financial District. Registration is complimentary and includes lunch. Kindly register by Monday, June 5.

Download a flyer with a full description and a discount code for Professor Kessler’s book.

Thank you to Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell for hosting this event.