Law 101: Everything You Need to Know about the American Legal System by Jay M. Feinman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Law 101: Everything You Need to Know about the American Legal System
Book Review: Understand the law, but not how to write a will
Summary: 4 Stars
Although I do not regret my decision, after deferring entry to law school for three years, to finally choose another vocation, I maintain a strong interest in legal philosophy and history, and comparative and international law. For me, Jay Feinman's book was an especially delightful find on the law section of a general bookstore. Few jurists, other than those like Alan Dershowitz and Richard Posner, seem to communicate clearly and effectively in non-specialist books which can satisfy curiosity outside of immediate needs such as writing wills or understanding consumer rights. The claim of this book to provide "everything" you need to know about American law is undoubtedly exagerrated. This being said, Feinman provides a clear, thoughtful, and insightful coverage of the essentials of all that is covered in the first-year curriculum of a first-year U.S. law school program without the pain of wading through extensive case material - contracts, criminal law, torts, property, constitutional law, and legal procedure.
The strength of this book lies in its emphasis on the open nature of many legal issues -- where there are no straightforward answers. I especially enjoyed, in the section on constitutional law, the superb discussion of the scope of the justiciability doctrine which eshews intrusion of courts into the authority of other branches of government. But what exactly constitues a nonjusticiable political question which the courts should not decide?
An extract from the author's section on civil procedure underscores his invitation to the reader to avoid thinking about the law as cut and dried subject matter and process: "The lesson from all of this is that clear, rigid legal rules are often not what they appear to be. They either produce injustice as they are applied in varying fact situations, or they demand interpretations and exceptions - yet interpretations and exceptions cause complexity and uncertainty. Broad, flexible legal rules, on the other hand, give the courts great discretion, and discretion produces conflicting decisions and uncertain rules, which is another form of complexity and injustice."
The last one and a half pages are a tour de force in clarity and simplicity for those seeking to appreciate legal reasoning. It identifies a limited set of questions which can be applied to any layman's encounter with legal issues in newspapers or eleswhere, and give him some sense of what lawyers and judges have to do.
Readers show be aware that this book, while a good introduction to the frame of mind of a U.S. jurist, is not intended to be a comprehensive introduction to the U.S. legal system.
Book Review: A Pre-law student must
Summary: 5 Stars
I was advised to read this book before I enter law school in the fall, and I'm glad I did. I knew little about torts, contracts, and all other aspects of introductory law before this book (I still know little, but know more than before). Feinman writes well and easy to understand. He explains the concepts and theories behind the law and fills almost every page with real life examples from previous cases. This is an excellent read even for those not going to law school. The laws and theories governing our everyday lives are contained in simple format here in this book. You can't afford not to read this book.Book Review: A Pre-law student must
Summary: 5 Stars
I was advised to read this book before I enter law school in the fall, and I'm glad I did. I knew little about torts, contracts, and all other aspects of introductory law before this book (I still know little, but know more than before). Feinman writes well and easy to understand. He explains the concepts and theories behind the law and fills almost every page with real life examples from previous cases. This is an excellent read even for those not going to law school. The laws and theories governing our everyday lives are contained in simple format here in this book. You can't afford not to read this book.Book Review: Excellent intro to the law
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not an attorney, nor do I plan to attend law school. Nevertheless, this book is a sophisticated, but highly readable introduction to the law. Executives from all industries who need a legal primer should start here.Book Review: Law 101, The book to HAVE !
Summary: 5 Stars
I have one word to say, WOW! Jay Feinman has done it again in his latest book Law 101. Two thumbs up isn't even enough to describe how good this book is. I cannot even begin to emphasize how much Jay's book has done for me. The way he mixes factual knowledge along with interesting concepts is just tremendous. Still, it's the books spiritual dimension -- a Feinman trademark -- that brings distinction to Law 101. Now I know its a stretch of a comparison, but I like to compare Jay M. Feinman with M. Knight Shyamalan, they both are the cream of the crop when it comes to their industry. I just wish I could meet Jay and congratulate him on such a wonderful book. Well done Jay, well done!! EDIT: Look out for Feinman's son to follow in his fathers footsteps sometime in the near future.