From the Lemma Barkeloo and Phoebe Couzins Era to the New Millennium: 130 Years of Family Law

Abstract

This essay, based on a 2000 lecture, traces the trajectory of family law as a subject in the law school curriculum and a field of legal scholarship. It begins in 1869, when the first women students entered law school. The essay focuses on three “snapshots,” each with a distinctive approach to families and family law: 1869, when family law centered on gender differences; 1975, when family law started to embrace principles of equality; and 2000, when the values of diversity and multiplicity came to the fore in family law. This evolution underscores the ongoing importance of rethinking and reevaluation in family law.

Keywords: family law, domestic relations, gender, equality, multiplicity, diversity