“Focus is on the facts that give rise to the conflict, and the possibility of peaceful resolution, not the principles which will at beat give a victory to one side and defeat to the other. Attention is devoted to the context of disputes, not the principles for which they stand.” (West, pg 205)
Instead of viewing law in the sense of winning and losing, West suggests that we focus on solving the conflict at hand rather than coming out on top. Caring more deeply and on a personal level would better humanize people in the law. The law is for the people, so they should be tried as people with personal experiences. It’s not about being “right,” but rather being able to serve justice fairly and humanely. Those who do not work within the law are not subjects; they are not lesser than someone who enforces the law. The law is personal and it should be treated as such.
Could changing the stock stories used to represent situations in law help in humanizing the issues? Or, should stock stories even be a thing? Why not use actual stories, real and lived experiences? Nothing can better represent life than life itself. The human experience is personal and it cannot be generated in a way that would properly represent it.
