Our podcast, A Matter of Interpretation, interviews leading and emerging scholars on their work involving law and language. You can listen to our podcast here or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Episode 1: Felipe Jiménez: Let’s Stop Talking About Interpretation
Details
In this episode of A Matter of Interpretation, Professor Felipe Jiménez critiques the overly narrow focus of the judiciary and legal academics in establishing interpretive rules. He instead suggests addressing broader questions about the ethics of adjudication. Professor Jiménez contends that legal systems would benefit if they prioritized the development of virtuous adjudicators and the processes through which adjudicators are selected. The discussion explores how a shift in focus toward an ethic of adjudication could foster greater predictability, professionalization, and accountability within the legal system.
Felipe Jiménez is a Professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Southern California (USC), where he is a co-director of the Center for Law and Philosophy. He holds both a Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD) and an LLM from New York University School of Law. Professor Jiménez practiced as a litigator before entering academia. His research foci – private law theory, jurisprudence, and contract law – considers legal theory in light of the realities that lawyers and legal professionals face in practice. An accomplished scholar, he authored The Institution of Contract and has contributed articles, essays and book chapters to leading legal journals and publications.
