I want to end this historical overview of relations between law and literature by focusing on the United States of America in the mid- to late twentieth century. It was here that ‘Law and Literature’ emerged as a field of study, and that the conscious dialogue between lawyers, writers and critics began to take place across the wall erected in modernity by both disciplines. The ensuing conversation has ramified into the many debates discussed in this book (and others), and has sponsored new knowledges capable of transforming the practice of law and the humanities.

As a movement combining theoretical analysis and practical application, Law and Literature has had a particular commitment to equal justice in American society. What Brook Thomas calls ‘literature's ability to produce alternative narratives to the dominant ones of a culture’ has made Law and Literature the site of an invaluable critique of the stories and ideologies upheld by America's legal system. As a result, the law's treatment of women, people of colour, the disabled, children and many other marginalised groups has been an integral concern of this interdisciplinary field. Yet this respect for minority rights has been sustained not only by the possibilities of literature, but by a cultural commitment enshrined in the law. The nation's basic legal framework includes the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution: