Steve Bachmann. “Lawyers, Law and Social Change.” N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change, vol. 13, no. 1 (1984): 1-50.
This article explores the complex relationship between lawyers, law, and social change, raising a central question for both legal professionals and activists: can law serve as a meaningful tool in the pursuit of justice? The author presents a normative framework for evaluating the role of law in driving desirable social change, drawing from personal legal experience, historical analysis, and theoretical perspectives. The article outlines which legal strategies align with transformative goals and critiques those that may reinforce the status quo. It also contrasts the author’s position with three leftist perspectives: public interest/legal reformists, a-legal radicals, and fusionists associated with Critical Legal Studies. By situating lawyers within broader struggles for justice, the article invites reflection on the ethical and strategic responsibilities of legal professionals operating in systems that may resist or undermine social change. It offers important insights for attorneys working in backsliding democracies, where the law’s role in promoting justice is often contested and fraught.