American Law: An Introduction

by Friedman, Lawrence Meir

• ISBN13: 9780393972733
• ISBN10: 0393972739
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-03-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

Thousands of rules affect our work and play, what we buy, and how we get along with our neighbors. This book meets the need of students and general readers alike for a comprehensive introduction to the American legal system. It explains how laws are made and brilliantly explores the way changes in law mirror, and sometimes guide, changes in society . Lawrence Friedman now offers a revised and updated edition of his comprehensive introduction to the American legal system. Rich in anecdote and historical detail, this invaluable book makes the bewildering complexity of American law understandable to us all. It explains how laws are made, from the United States Constitution to the small-town zoning board, and how law is administered by courts and agencies at every level of government. It describes the tremendous variety of law: antitrust law, family law, torts (the law of accidents), criminal justice, rules for packaging medicine and food. And it brilliantly explores important trends to reveal the way changes in law mirror, and sometimes guide, changes in society.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	7	(2)
Preface	9	(6)
What Is a Legal System?	15	(20)
Law: Formal and Informal	35	(17)
The Background of American Law	52	(23)
The Structure of American Law: The Courts	75	(33)
The Structure of American Law: Statutes and Statute Makers	108	(20)
The Structure of American Law: Executing Policy	128	(18)
Federalism and American Legal Culture	146	(17)
Inside the Black Box: The Substance of Law	163	(17)
Crimes and Punishments	180	(27)
Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties	207	(24)
On Legal Behavior	231	(21)
Legal Culture: Legitimacy and Morality	252	(15)
The American Legal Profession	267	(25)
Law and Social Change	292	(29)
Epilogue: The Future of Law in the United States	321	(12)
Documents	333	(50)
Notes	383	(18)
Index	401