First published in 1917 (Part 1) and 1918 (Part 2) with a second edition in 1946 this is the first English translation of Santi Romanoâs classic work Lâordinamento giuridico (The Legal Order). The main focus of The Legal Order is the notion of institution which Romano considers to be both the core and distinguishing feature of law. After criticising accounts of the nature of law centred on notions of rule coercion or authority he offers a compelling conception not merely of law as an institution but of the institution as âthe first original and essential manifestation of lawâ. Romano advances a definition of a legal institution as any group who share rules within a bounded context: for example a family a firm a factory a prison an association a church an illegal organisation a state the community of states and so on. Therefore this understanding of legal institutionalism at the same time provides a ground-breaking theory of legal pluralism whereby âthere are as many legal orders as institutionsâ. The acme of a jurisprudential current long overlooked in the Anglophone environment (Romanoâs work is highly regarded in France Germany Spain and South America as well as in Italy) The Legal Order not only proposes what Carl Schmitt described as a âvery significant theoryâ. More importantly it offers precious insights for a thorough rethinking of the relationship between law and society in todayâs world. . Language: English