ABSTRACT
Several decades after the law and literature movement took off on both sides of the Atlantic, crossed the Channel and took fi rm roots in old and new worlds, it may seem anachronistic if not reactionary to begin by questioning the movement’s purpose and achievements. This is, nevertheless, what this introduction hopes to do. A school of thought, after all, is only as relevant as its continuing contributions, and a school that has ceased to question its purposes and consequences (intended or unforeseen) is no longer a school of thought. Let’s rewind then to some of the ideas and ideals that spearheaded the law and literature movement and animated its enthusiastic participants, who, timidly at fi rst, then more and more boldly entered the legal curriculum to the extent that, several decades on, the study of law and literature is not only tolerated but positively encouraged in the academy.
