American Law: An Introduction

By Lawrence M. Friedman, Grant M Hayden, Grant M. Hayden

Book Overview

This book provides an accessible introduction to the American legal system and is a vital resource to anyone interested in understanding how this social system works.

Its focus is on law in practice, the role of the law in American society, and how the social context affects the living law of the United States. It covers the institutions of law creation and application, law in American government, American legal culture and the legal profession, American criminal and civil justice, and civil rights. Now in its fourth edition, the book has been widely used in both undergraduate and graduate courses as an introduction to the legal system.

This new edition follows the same structure as the previous editions while providing a thorough updating and reworking of the text. This edition reflects upon what has happened in the years since the third edition was published in 2017, the rise of social media, the strains of climate change, the globalization of risk, the pandemic, and the immigration crisis. The book addresses how these events and evolutions have shaped our fundamental comprehension of the workings of the American legal system today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0197793126
• ISBN13: 9780197793121
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Solid

Good Intro to Am Law. Straight forward. I'm taking a class from the teacher right now and he's pretty good.

An excellent introduction to the American legal system

If you want a reasonably good understanding of the what, how, and why of the American legal system without having to go to law and grad school, this is the book for you. Friedman, in just over 300 pages of text, manages to cover the entire field of law in America, from legislation through administration to judgment, from the workings of the local sewer district to the trappings of the Supreme Court.Friedman is a renowned legal scholar, but this should not scare away the legal neophyte. He has done a remarkable thing for a renowned scholar to do -- he has written an introduction that truly is an introduction! The writing is clear, straightforward, and devoid of all but the most essential legal jargon, and, when the jargon is unavoidable, it is clearly explained. Further, the book is notable for its lack of endless recitation of court decisions. While Friedman disscusses most of the important cases, he does not expect the reader to slog through them. And he is excellent at connecting the cases -- and the law in general -- to real-life events easily within the experience of ordinary people.If you are already familiar with American law you will probably learn nothing new here. It is, nevertheless, a good, refreshing read. Finally, for those of us that teach in this area, particularly in undergraduate education, this is an excellent teaching book.