Introduction to the Legal System of the United States

by E. Allan Farnsworth

Overview

In this classic text, translated into over a dozen languages, constitutional scholar and Columbia Law School professor E. Allan Farnsworth provides a clear explanation of the structure and function of the U.S. legal system in one handy reference. An Introduction to the Legal System of the United States is designed to be a general introduction to the structure and function of the legal system of the United States, and is especially useful for those readers who lack familiarity with fundamental establishments and practices.

This text also gives the reader a clear understanding of how to research the law, the importance of case law versus statutes, and the difference between private and public law. It illustrates issues that may be confusing or troublesome and provides a solid general overview.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780379213737
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/28/1999
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	195
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Author E. Allan Farnsworth, (1928-2005) was the distinguished Alfred McCormack Professor of Law at Columbia University and renowned for his scholarship on American contract law, among other topics. His lectures throughout the U.S., and his many articles, brought clarity and a much larger degree of uniformity to the commercial law of the fifty states. He was the author of numerous best-selling books and publications.

Editor Steve Sheppard is the William H. Enfield Professor of Law at University of Arkansas School of Law. He has written widely on legal history and legal philosophy and is the co-author of American Law in a Global Context: The Basics with George P. Fletcher (Oxford University Press, 2005) and editor of Bramble Bush: The Classic Lectures on the Law and Law School (Oxford University Press 2008).

Table of Contents

Editor's Introduction Table of Contents Preface to the Third Edition A Note on Terminology

Part One: Sources and Techniques Chapter 1 Historical Background Chapter 2 Legal Education Chapter 3 Legal Profession Chapter 4 The Judicial System Chapter 5 Case Law Chapter 6 The Legislative System Chapter 7 Statutes Chapter 8 Secondary Authority

Part Two: Organization and Substance Chapter 9 Classification Chapter 10 Procedure Chapter 11 Private Law Chapter 12 Public Law

Appendix 1 Reading Case Law and Statutes Appendix 2 Selected Readings by E. Allan Farnsworth Index

Editorial Reviews

"The book is an excellent text when one considers the apparent primary purpose of the work...The book is a good, brief, introductory text on the Legal System of the United States...As an introductory work, the selection of topics is interesting to note. The author did not attempt to prepare a work on "American Government." The book does not discuss the political or economic systems that rule and govern the United States. Discussions of capitalism, political parties, and the executive branch of government are not included. The work does provide, however, discussions of lawyers, legal education, the legal profession, the judicial system, case law, the legislative system, and statutes. There is also some discussion of the distinctions between private law and public law.

"...One of the interesting examples in the book, is the chapter on "Case Law." The author does a good job of explaining the importance of case law in the United States legal system. The chapter discusses the role that courts play, the use of precedent in case law, the form that decisions take, and even a brief discussion of how decisions are reported. As an added feature, the appendix to the work gives the reader two examples of reported case decisions. This would allow the interested reader to experience the difficulty in trying to read, understand, and analyze court decisions.

"...It should be extremely useful to foreign audiences, beginning course in paralegal training, or any setting where the reader is seeking introductory level material..."

Ronald W. Eades, Professor of Law, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Law Books in Review

From the Publisher