The premise of this course is that most law today is found in statutes and that it is important to understand the legislative process and how courts deal with statutory law.
Major emphasis is placed on statutory interpretation.
Part I deals with the history and theory of statutory interpretation, from the early period, when judge-made law dominated, to the current period, when statutes dominate. Part II discusses theory and technique of statutory interpretation. Part II-A focuses on text, external context, and change. Part II-B deals with legislative history. And Part II-C discusses how statutes interact with the common law and with each other to create law.