Table of Contents

Preface

1 Courts and the Law

Part I Structures and Participants in the Judicial Process

2 The Federal and State Court Systems

3 Judges

4 Lawyers

Part II Judicial Process and Judicial Decision Making

5 Trials and Appeals

6 Criminal Justice and the Courts

7 Civil Justice and the Courts

8 Judicial Decision Making

Part III Judicial Policymaking

9 Judicial Policymaking: An Introduction

10 Federal Court Policymaking

11 State Court Policymaking

Index

About the Author

G. Alan Tarr received his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He is Board of Governors professor of political science emeritus and founder of the Center for State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, Camden. Professor Tarr has served as a constitutional consultant in Russia, South Africa, Cyprus, and Burma. A three-time NEH Fellow, he has most recently completed a study of judicial independence and accountability in the American states.

Reviews

The book is well written, and students certainly find it understandable. I think the book appropriately does not assume that students have a background on this information and does a good job explaining whole concepts. I have used a version of Tarr's book for over fifteen years and the revisions for the seventh edition are really spot on. I especially like the change to “A Crisis in the Legal Profession.” I am now the director of our prelaw program and I am incorporating much more of the law school and legal profession components to my course curriculum. -- Kathryn DePalo, Florida International University I like the organization and the flow of the book. I also find the writing to be quite good. And I think it keeps current as much as is possible with a textbook—important for student interest. -- Stuart Shiffman, Feldman-Wasser and formerly of Illinois State University