This course looks at representations of law in 20th century American film – particularly Westerns, gangster films, and courtroom dramas. The themes it addresses include: the asymmetry of law and justice, the relationship between law and social change, the public and private identities of lawyers, anxiety that the rule of law fails individuals and minorities, and the disciplinary modes of both law and culture. It also explores the convergence of narrative, visual, aural, and dramatic practices in legal proceedings and cinematic productions.