Reasonable
Woman
Abel's Law
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American Jurisprudence has always relied on the "reasonable man" standard in making determinations of criminal guilt or civil liability. Recently, however, the courts have begun to refer to that standard as the "reasonable person" standard, by simply renaming the old standard of what was a reasonable man. The standard, as applied, ignores the reality of what a woman is and how she processes the perspective of all that is legal.

This presentation begins with a look at the history of the standard, compares and contrasts the application of that standard to women and men over time, considers the inadequacies of the standard when applied to a woman, and concludes with suggestions as to what may work better. The presentation lasts for 50 minutes with at least 10 minutes for direct questions.

We have made this presentation several times, most recently in our course on Women and the Law, and to professional groups such as the Asheville Area Paralegal Association.

If you have any questions, email us at mabel@wcu.edu