The anthropology of law intersects with many other disciplines. People have studied it, taking into consideration the influence of topics such as politics, economy, religion and belief systems, cultural and societal norms and identity in their relation to law and legality.
Explorations of legal anthropology naturally begin with the history of law, particularly ancient law. Related topics are traditional and modern law systems, comparative jurisprudence, the study of local cultures and the concept of human rights within national and international law systems.
The study of the anthropology of law is heavily research-oriented, utilizing normative and process analysis methods. The most common method is ethnography fieldwork, mostly interviewing and direct observation.