This course is intended as an introduction to the central traditions of sociological thought as they apply to the study of law and legal institutions. It aims to explore questions such as “what are laws social functions?”; “what are the distinctive forms of modern legal institutions?”; “how does law relate to society?" and "how does legal change relate to broader social change?" It aims to teach students how sociologists and “law and society” scholars develop research questions and apply them in the analysis of legal phenomena.