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Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law 3rd Edition

by Jay M. Feinman (Author)

4.5 144 ratings

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Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law
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The first two editions of the best-selling Law 101 provided readers with a vividly written and indispensable portrait of our nation's legal system. Now, in this third edition, Jay M. Feinman offers a fully updated survey of American law that incorporates fresh material on 2009 Supreme Court cases, the legal response to the war on terror (including the Guantanamo detainees and electronic surveillance), and to the latest developments in Internet law.

In a book brimming with legal puzzles, interesting anecdotes, and thought-provoking questions, Jay M. Feinman's clear introduction to the law provides us with a solid understanding of the American legal tradition and covers the main subjects taught in the first year of law school. Readers are introduced to every aspect of the legal system, from constitutional law and the litigation process to tort law, contract law, property law, and criminal law. Feinman illuminates each discussion with many intriguing, outrageous, and infamous cases, from the scalding coffee case that cost McDonald's half a million dollars, to the sensational murder trial in Victorian London that led to the legal definition of insanity, to the epochal decision in Marbury v. Madison that gave the Supreme Court the power to declare state and federal law unconstitutional. He broadens the reader's legal vocabulary, clarifying the meaning of everything from "due process" and "equal protection" in constitutional law to the distinction between "murder" and "manslaughter" in criminal law. Perhaps most important, we learn that though the law is voluminous and complex, it is accessible to all.

Everyone who wants a better grasp of current legal issues--from students contemplating law school, to journalists covering the legislature or the courts, to fans of Court TV--will find here a wonderful source of information: a complete, clear, and colorful map of the American legal system.

ISBN-10

0195395131
ISBN-13

978-0195395136
Edition

3rd
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

June 12, 2014
Language

English
Dimensions

9.3 x 0.9 x 6.4 inches
Print length

384 pages
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An engaging introduction to just about every aspect of law."--The American Lawyer

"All the benefits of that first year of law school without the tedium, the terror, and the sleep deprivation...These legal lessons are presented in a style nearly always engaging and very often humorous."--Jurist

"An entertaining and informative introduction to the law...For journalists, those interested in the law, and fans of television law dramas, this book should be required reading."--Library Journal

"A layperson's introduction to the legal subjects that assault every first-year law student. From constitutional law to contracts to Dickensian procedures that guide civil suites, the book gives an approachable overview of the cases and concepts that combine to form our legal system."--Newark Star-Ledger

"Though a book is aimed at laypersons, it offers a good refresher course to update legal practitioners and paraprofessionals in areas where they do not specialize. A good read overall for those interested in the law."--Booklist

"Law 101 attempts to teach you how to think like a lawyer--without requiring that you dedicate three years and tens of thousands of dollars to the task. The result? A practical book that is also a pleasure to read."--The Trenton Times

"Many readers, particularly those contemplating law school, will find this a painless introduction to American legal theory and practice."--Publishers Weekly

"Feinman's style makes for easy reading, and Law101 is chock full of analyses, anecdotes, examples, questions, and legal reasoning set out in lay terms. Overall, the book provides an excellent explanation of what American law is, and it frequently suggests ways in which it might be improved."--The Federal Lawyer

Book Description

A thoroughly revised and updated edition of the leading basic introduction to American law written for the general reader

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 3rd edition (June 12, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195395131
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195395136
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 0.9 x 6.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,272,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #706 in Legal Self-Help
- #1,707 in Legal History (Books)
- #97,191 in Unknown

Customer Reviews:
4.5 144 ratings

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Not Bob

Introduction to the American Legal System

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2011

Verified Purchase

In Law 101, the author attempts to explain major concepts found in American law and the legal system without going into the finer detail. He succeeds.

Major concepts covered in this book include constitutional law, basic rights, tort law, contract law, property law, and criminal law. Also covered are the litigation process in civil suits and criminal trials.

Each of these subjects covers a lot of things, but the author has managed to succinctly summarize each one into the major things that need to be known in order to understand each topic. He also brings in famous and important court cases that really show how the law is applied to different situations. From important cases such as Marbury v. Madison or Roe v. Wade to more infamous cases such as when a woman scalded herself after spilling hot coffee and was able to successfully sue McDonald's.

Even with the amount covered in this book, it still is only the tip of the iceberg. It really opened my eyes to just how complicated the law can be especially when it comes to dispensing justice fairly.

I would recommend this book to those with an interest in learning about law and the American legal system. Although it will not turn you into a lawyer overnight, it will give a greater understanding of the major concepts of law and court cases often heard about in the news.

54 people found this helpful

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Greg

0L Prespective

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is from the perspective of a 0L. The book is nice because it covers the six main 1L classes: Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Property, and Criminal Law. It also goes into criminal procedure (the last chapter), but I didn't read about that because Criminal Procedure is an elective. The book gave a basic foundation on the subjects, but I don't think I will use it as a supplement in law school. The reason for that is the book doesn't go into a whole lot of detail given that it's written for the educated lay person. However, I did learn a ton and I think I now have a good foundation of knowledge to build upon. My main goal when reading this book was to build a general idea of what I'd learn about as a 1L and this book did a great job in meeting that end. I plan on reading Examples & Explanations books in the coming weeks and months to expand on what I learned from this book.

If another 0L asked me if it's worth reading this book, I would probably tell her only if she had the time. I'm glad I read this but I don't think it's going to make too big of a difference in my law school grades. It's a nice introduction to legal thinking with all of the "what ifs" and the discussion about social policy issues vs fact issues, but there are other books which solely focus on legal thinking.

7 people found this helpful

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Doug Burger

a good overview of the major subject areas

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

The book was a good overview of the various major subject areas of law. I hadn't thought much before about separate areas of law like contract, property, criminal, constitutional, etc., and how they could overlap, I appreciated that overview.
I deducted a star for a couple of reasons. I wished the book had a terminology section that collected together the legal words it had highlighted throughout the text. I would have liked to review them in one place. As it was, I'm glad they were italicized, and I highlighted them myself for later reference.
The other reason is that I was hoping to learn more about reading law text and legislation. Not much was written about the textual aspect of the law. The book covered the concepts of human nature that the law tries to regulate, but without much reference to the issues of trying to capture that in statutory code texts.

7 people found this helpful

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SKW

trials

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024

Verified Purchase

with all the trials in the news, I needed schooling on various laws

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2011

Verified Purchase

This book is well organized and does a good job of explaining most of the concepts. The section on constitutional law is complicated by sentences that are long and twisting, double negation, and a lack of explanation for certain concepts. I found that I often needed to re-read paragraphs in order to understand what the author was saying and that if I wasn't giving the book my 100% attention, I could not follow the author's train of thought. Other than that section, however, I found this book to be an easy read and a good overview of the legal system and how it functions.

21 people found this helpful

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Georgiana Higinbotham

Highly recommended!

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

thanks so much for the book which I have been waiting for a long time!

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2011

Verified Purchase

Outstandingly well written! It covers the first year law school courses. Well organized and very informative. Not written in "leagalease". Essential reading for the non-lawyer needing a general knowledge of the law. I'm not a lawyer and have read several books on the general subjet of law. This book is far above the others in writing style, comprehensive, and the amount of info covered. I bought it as a "necessary" read, but was surprised at how well it is organized. A pleasant and informative read! I strongly recommend it

23 people found this helpful

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Dr. Z

An Affordable Introduction to American Law

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a great book for anyone who wants to understand the American legal system. I use this as a textbook in an introductory course pertaining to American law. It is affordable, easily understood, and serves as an excellent textbook for first year college students.

3 people found this helpful

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