In Law 101, Jay M. Feinman offers a delightfully clear introduction to law, covering the main subjects found in the first year of law school and giving us a basic understanding of the American legal tradition. 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 McDonalds half a million dollars, to the sensational murder trial in Victorian London that led to the basic legal definition of insanity, to the epochal decision in Marbury v. Madison that gave the Supreme Court the power to declare state and federal laws 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 law is voluminous and complex but accessible to everyone.

Anyone who enjoys Court TV will find this book irresistible. Anyone who wants a better grasp of current legal issues, from students contemplating law school to journalists covering the legislature or the courts, will find Law 101 a wonderful source of information -- a complete, clear, and colorful map of the American legal system.