Includes indexes.

Law is everywhere. Every day, the news features a notorious criminal trial, a massive lawsuit, or a new constitutional claim. But it all seems so complicated. In a book brimming with legal puzzles, interesting anecdotes, thought-provoking questions, and intellectual stimulation, Jay M. Feinman offers a delightfully clear introduction to law, giving us a solid understanding of the American legal tradition, and covering the main subjects taught in the first year of law school. Readers are introduced to every aspect of the legal system, including constitutional law, the litigation process, person.--Preface. There are no secret books : you can understand the law -- Constitutional law and constitutional politics : interpreting and applying the constitution -- First freedoms : constitutional rights -- Your day in court : the litigation process -- Auto accidents, scalding coffee, and medical malpractice : personal injuries and tort law -- When is a deal a deal? Businesses, consumers, and contract law -- You are what you own : the law of property -- From insanity to in cold blood : criminal responsibility and criminal law -- Protecting the innocent, freeing the guility : criminal procedure -- Conclusion.