The Fifth Edition of An Introduction to the American Legal System provides both historical context and thoroughly up-to-date coverage of all aspects of American law and the legal system. Vivid examples, on-point case summaries, and hot-button issues make this text an obvious choice for paralegal, criminal justice, political science, or legal studies courses.

New to the Fifth Edition:

This edition of An Introduction to the American Legal System introduces a broad reorganization of the text into four parts that are easily grasped by students:
- Foundations of the Legal System examines the origins of American law and the important institutions and actors of our present system.
- Public Law covers those areas of the law that govern the relationships between society, government, and the individual.
- Private Law explains those areas of the law that deal primarily with the rights and duties of private parties.
- The Legal Process provides an overview of legal procedure.
New chapters on civil rights and civil liberties speak to students' interests and the importance of these issues in today's society.
A new chapter on appellate procedure exhibits the role of judicial review in civil, criminal and administrative contexts.
An expanded chapter on administrative law demonstrates the current importance of administrative agencies in the policymaking process.
Recent Supreme Court decisions are covered throughout the book.