ABSTRACT
In a recent lecture, Professor Twining updated his interpretation of American Legal Realism. This Article in large part recounts that lecture. Addressing jurisprudence as a multifunctional activity, Professor Twining begins by outlining his approach to textual interpretation. He then utilizes this approach to analyze the juristic texts which he characterizes as comprising the Realist legacy. Through this process, he reinterprets the Realist legacy in light of recent legal scholarship and reevaluates the Realists’ roles, particularly that of Karl Llewellyn, in that legacy. Professor Twining continues by examining some parallels between the American Realist Movement and developments in academic law in the United Kingdom. He concludes by exploring the significance of “realism” and related concepts for contemporary jurisprudence.
