This course is an introduction to the world of law from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective. Law is a central political and social institution that structures our world. At the same, its knowledge is generally restricted to specialists who are trained in its particular technicalities and jargon. Instead of a narrow technical discipline, the course is designed to make students understand law as a part of our wider social and political world, in an interdisciplinary and critical manner. It is motivated by the conviction that a familiarity with the structure and operation of law is necessary to develop an understanding of how that political and social world is constructed, as well as a resource for engaging with it. It offers students a basic familiarity with the history and structure of the legal system, and its relationship to major social and political forces. Combining critical texts with practical engagement, this course will hone students’ ability to utilize, challenge and develop legal instruments in an effort to prepare them to be agents of social change. The course is divided into three parts. The first part would explore the history of law and its particular categories, and their relationship with major historical processes like capitalism and colonialism. The second part would provide an overview of the four major areas of law – constitutions, property, crimes, and international law – and their relationship with major social and political institutions and processes. The third part of the course would focus in more detail on a few significant issues of contemporary relevance – e.g., climate change, human rights, gender violence, migration – and their relationship to law. This is also the part where a special focus would be on introducing students to activist lawyering practices in the area based in New York City, and through them explore ways in which law can be both an obstacle to and an instrument of projects of social and political change. Students must register for both the lecture and discussion section of this course. [This ULEC is in category 1, Tools for Social Change.]