Anglo-American common law is based on what a reasonable adult male would or would not do—but not everyone in society is a reasonable adult male. For the elderly, children, and women, a legal decision can sometimes turn out tragically wrong, even when the lawyers, jurors, and judge are all competent and conscientious. Unequal Protection is a trial judge’s account of her search for the causes of these wrong decisions.

Anglo-American common law is based on what a reasonable adult male would or would not do—but not everyone in society is a reasonable adult male. For the elderly, children, and women, a legal decision can sometimes turn out tragically wrong, even when the lawyers, jurors, and judge are all competent and conscientious. Unequal Protection is a trial judge’s account of her search for the causes of these wrong decisions.

Anglo-American common law is based on what a reasonable adult male would or would not do—but not everyone in society is a reasonable adult male. For the elderly, children, and women, a legal decision can sometimes turn out tragically wrong, even when the lawyers, jurors, and judge are all competent and conscientious. Unequal Protection is a trial judge’s account of her search for the causes of these wrong decisions.