As issues in American law turn up with ever-greater frequency in dozens of countries worldwide, some familiarity with the legal system of the United States of America has become de rigueur for practising lawyers everywhere. This handbook provides an authoritative description of the major elements, including all matters likely to emerge in the course of normal legal activity. 18 chapters by distinguished American law professors, each of whom is also knowledgeable about a legal system outside that of the United States, explain the major laws, legal standards and legal institutions of the United States. Substantive and procedural comparisons are presented in plain English, with appropriate commentary where deemed helpful to clarify particularly complex or unsettled matters. The resulting volume is an historical, systematic and critical introduction to the law of the United States.