Law 101

Law 101, Everything You Need to Know About American Law, 3rd Revisededition--------------------------------------------------Law is everywhere. Every day, the news features a notorious criminaltrial, a massive lawsuit, or a new constitutional claim. But it allseems so complicated. In a book brimming with legal puzzles, interestinganecdotes, thought-provoking questions, and intellectual stimulation,Jay M. Feinman offers a delightfully clear introduction to law, givingus a solid understanding of the American legal tradition, and coveringthe main subjects taught in the first year of law school. Readers areintroduced to every aspect of the legal system, including constitutionallaw, the litigation process, personal injury law, contract law, propertylaw, and criminal law. Feinman illuminates each discussion with manyintriguing, outrageous, and infamous cases, from the sensational murdertrial in Victorian London that led to the legal definition of insanity,to the epochal decision in Marbury v. Madison that gave the SupremeCourt the power to declare state and federal laws unconstitutional,to the infamous McDonald's hot coffee case. He broadens the reader'slegal vocabulary, clarifying the meaning of everything from due processand equal protection in constitutional law, to the distinction betweenmurder and manslaughter in criminal law. This third edition hasbeen fully updated throughout, and incorporates the most recent developmentsin the American legal system, including new material on 2009 SupremeCourt cases, the legal response to the war on terror (such as the Guantanamodetainees and electronic surveillance), and new and updated materialon law on the Internet. Everyone who wants a better grasp of currentlegal issues, including ordinary citizens, students contemplating lawschool, and journalists covering the legislature or the courts, willfind here a wonderful source of information--a complete, clear, andcolorful map of the American legal system.