There is a view afoot, I am afraid, that holds that when Paul says law he is always referring to the Torah. The works of the law, therefore, are those works that maintain the covenant boundary markers, which were given by grace. The works of the law understood in this way are part of the sitz im leben for the book of Romans. N.T. Wright wants to lean against “timeless truths,” particularly the timeless truth of grace against works in all ages. I believe he wants to grant that something like that is happening at the end of the day, but he consistently leans against the notion that this perennial battle is in view for Paul. That would make Paul a hawker of too many timeless truths.
But the fundamental contrast for Paul is always between grace and works, and take a gander at Romans 9:11. Before either Esau or Jacob were born, before either of them had done anything whatever, either good or bad, God placed His blessing on Jacob, and not on Esau. This purpose of God was according to His election, and it was not of works. Now what works could it possibly have been “not of”?
Note that the allure of “works” here is centuries before the Torah was given. Jacob had the position he did by grace, and it was not of works. Jacob was given something apart from works long before his great, great grandson Moses, editor of the Torah, was born (Ex. 6:16-20). The Torah wasn’t around yet but works still were. Since the Fall, works always are, whispering in your ear, plucking at your sleeve.