ABSTRACT
Law is an area of professional and academic endeavor that has historically been almost exclusively occupied by men; the influx of women into legal practice and study since the 1970s has been a dramatic change, one associated with new developments of legal thought. As law occupies a central position in the power relations of Western societies, it is not surprising that it has been the focus of feminist critiques as well as the site of many struggles over the meaning and extent of gender equality. Feminists have provided profound and challenging critiques of legal theory and practice at many levels. Old practices and ideas have been reexamined, from the most abstract principles of legal philosophy to the pragmatic details of courtroom practice and professional power structures.
