Nestled within a system doomed to failure was an oasis of success, an institution that relieved higher courts of minor civil and criminal cases, involved legal laymen in the citizenry in self-governance, and actually seemed to work in deterring and correcting crime. Sperlich (political science, U. of California, Berkeley) finds the social courts virtually the only successful element of governance in what was once East Germany, largely because it operated somewhat independently of communism. He introduces the concepts behind the courts, then describes the rather peculiar relationship between socialism and social science research, lay adjudication and socialist legal theory, social court judges, the tasks and responsibilities of the social courts, caseloads and cases. He assesses and evaluates the courts in terms of political leadership, commissioners, citizens, legal systems and litigants and describes the lessons learned. The bibliography here is extensive. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)