ABSTRACT
The law is uncomfortable with emotions. Perhaps the most obvious manifestations of this emotional maelstrom are in relation to the dark passions and motives abounding within criminal law. As feminist, critical and law and emotions scholars aim arrows and darts at its assumptions, biases and prejudices, the law remains steadfast and, seemingly, imperturbable in its retention of an outdated, and often demonizing, characterisation of emotions. Emotions pervade all structures, hierarchies and aspects of the law school and thus needs to be acknowledged at all levels. For some, when the idea of emotions in the law school is raised, this is viewed as akin to a Woodstock revolution. The argument for the transformative power of emotions is based on a wide range of evidence drawn from science, education and, indeed, the limited forms of qualitative and quantitative work on law schools that is currently available. The more nuanced answer is that emotions can be acknowledged and utilised in many ways.
