Includes index.

Contents:Introduction -- What is law -- Sociological jurisprudence, legal realism and legal sociology -- Ethics and law -- The judicial system -- :Courts -- Trial courts -- Appellate courts -- State court systems -- Jurisdiction -- The Federal Court system -- Civil procedure:Proceedings before a civil trial -- Civil trials -- Rules of evidence -- Institutional sources of American law:Common law and civil law legal systems -- Constitutions -- Legislation -- Administrative agencies -- Judicial decision making -- Limitations in seeking relief:Case or controversy requirement -- Justiciability -- Mootness -- Political questions -- The act of state doctrine -- Statute of limitations -- Judicial remedies -- Equitable remedies -- Criminal law and oricedure -- :The basic components of a criminal offense -- Criminal procedure -- Proceedings prior to trial -- The criminal trial -- Family law:Introduction -- Creating family relationships -- Family relations in ongoing families -- Ending spousal relationships -- Contracts -- The law of torts -- Property -- Administrative law and administrative agencies -- Alternative dispute resolution.