This book describes the structure and functions of state and federal judicial systems within the United States. The primary mission of the book is to introduce beginning law students and lawyers from other countries to the basics of the federal and state court systems of the United States, but sufficient detail is provided to make the book a handy reference source for anyone doing research on American courts. The appendices present detailed information about the judicial personnel and different structures of the federal and state courts. This new edition reflects the changes in case management procedures, court personnel, and, in some instances, state court structure that have been made over the past decade to deal with changes in the types and numbers of cases being filed with the courts.

Softbound - New, softbound print book.

This brief, accessible, and inexpensive supplement on American courts and their functions provides undergraduate, or first-year law students, with an understanding of the key substantive and procedural concepts that they need to know to study the law or the judicial process. Recognizing that there are many substantive and procedural concepts about American courts that students must first grasp in order to study the law or the judicial process, this brief text answers important questions about justiciability, standing, jurisdiction, and judicial power. With a stronger historical context, this text is a perfect complement to a text on Constitutional Law, Judicial Process, or a legal casebook, and will help students master the legal vocabulary with which they are confronted.

Widely used and widely respected, "America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System", Tenth Edition, offers a comprehensive explanation of the courts and the criminal justice system, presented in a streamlined, straightforward manner that appeals to instructors and students alike. Neubauer and Fradella's crisp, clear writing style, characterized by careful chunking of material into small sections within chapters, ensures that readers gain a firm handle on the material, while the text's innovative "courtroom workhouse" model, which focuses on the interrelationships among the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney, brings the courtroom to life. This popular text is known for the way it gives students a true glimpse what it is like to work within the American criminal justice system, and the tenth edition is no exception. This modern edition offers coverage that reflects recent policy shaping and headline-making developments as well as incorporation of additional student-learning and review tools.

Featuring the insights of criminal justice scholars G. Larry Mays and Laura Woods Fidelie, American Courts and the Judicial Process, Second Edition, is ideal for undergraduate courts courses. It examines the many elements of the U.S. court system--its structures, functions, and key actors--addressing the major problems facing the system and considering potential solutions. This unique text also provides students with a practical perspective, discussing the contrast between the law and the rules as they are written and the ways in which they actually play out in the real world. The book is enhanced by "In the News" boxes that discuss contemporary events and "World View" boxes covering international courts and legal systems.

Courtrooms are often lively places, and what occurs in them has a profound impact on the functioning of our democracy. The American Courts – A Procedural Approach offers readers a thorough understanding of the United States court system by exploring the procedural aspects of the law. The rules of both criminal and civil procedure, how they are applied, and their influence on decision-making in the courts are thoroughly examined. This text is ideal for undergraduate and introductory graduate criminal justice, legal studies, and government programs.

It is no secret that since the 1980s, American workers have lost power vis-à-vis employers through the well-chronicled steep decline in private sector unionization. American workers have also lost power in other ways. Those alleging employment discrimination have fared increasingly poorly in the courts. In recent years, judges have dismissed scores of cases in which workers presented evidence that supervisors referred to them using racial or gender slurs. In one federal district court, judges dismissed more than 80 percent of the race discrimination cases filed over a year. And when juries return verdicts in favor of employees, judges often second guess those verdicts, finding ways to nullify the jury's verdict and rule in favor of the employer. Most Americans assume that that an employee alleging workplace discrimination faces the same legal system as other litigants. After all, we do not usually think that legal rules vary depending upon the type of claim brought. The employment law scholars Sandra A. Sperino and Suja A. Thomas show in Unequal that our assumptions are wrong. Over the course of the last half century, employment discrimination claims have come to operate in a fundamentally different legal system than other claims. It is in many respects a parallel universe, one in which the legal system systematically favors employers over employees. A host of procedural, evidentiary, and substantive mechanisms serve as barriers for employees, making it extremely difficult for them to access the courts. Moreover, these mechanisms make it fairly easy for judges to dismiss a case prior to trial. Americans are unaware of how the system operates partly because they think that race and gender discrimination are in the process of fading away. But such discrimination still happens in the workplace, and workers now have little recourse to fight it legally. By tracing the modern history of employment discrimination, Sperino and Thomas provide an authoritative account of how our legal system evolved into an institution that is inherently biased against workers making rights claims.