A scientific theory may be revolutionary if it reveals that something always regarded as constant is actually variable. Copernicus thus made the revolutionary announcement that the earth is not stationary but revolves around the sun, Darwin that the characteristics of plants and animals are not permanent but evolve over time, and Einstein that time and space are not uniform but change with velocity and the weight of matter. A recent theory in legal sociology likewise reveals that law is not constant but varies with its social geometry—the social location and direction of each case. This is Donald Black's theory of legal relativity, first announced in the 1970s. It is a major development in the history of legal thought.

The Geometry of Law

Modern legal experts (including lawyers, ...

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