This book on American law reframes the topic in a way non-lawyers can easily comprehend. It provides a basic understanding of the American legal system, the different divisions of civil law, and the primary concepts and distinctions that characterize modern legal thought. It also addresses how the law and social change interact with each other. Intended for undergraduate students, it also will interest general readers who want to understand the foundations of law. Features new to this third edition include a section on how to brief cases, a new introduction covering updates for each chapter, new case studies and discussion questions for selected chapters, a glossary of legal terms, and key Websites for legal studies. Authors are Altschuler (political science, SUNY Oswego) and Sgroi and Ryniker (public justice, SUNY Oswego). Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)