Equality in American Law

"Equality in American Law is a deep exploration of the multifaceted concept of equality in American law. The unifocus on equality, while considering it across a range of domains ranging from employment to education to criminal law, opens the door to a deep appreciation of the concept's complexity, both theoretically and practically. Theoretically, the book explores the many meanings of equality. Somewhat paradoxically, equality can require polar opposite actions-sometimes it requires equal treatment, sometimes unequal treatment; sometimes integration, other times segregation; sometimes ignoring a factor, other times paying special attention to it. The book explores these disparate meanings of equality and the reasons for them. Practically, even when what equality requires can be identified, it can be devilishly difficult to implement. Willborn then explores the capacity of our institutions to advance equality and their limitations in doing so"-- Provided by publisher.