Synopses & Reviews
An ideal supplement to texts on judicial processes,
Real Law Stories: Inside the American Judicial Process is the only undergraduate text dedicated to the presentation of "real-world" interviews with lawyers, judges, and police officers. Each law professional describes his or her job across a range of legal activities and offers insights into the legal process in the United States.
Rather than focusing on exceptional or famous cases, authors Richard A. Brisbin Jr., and John C. Kilwein examine the routine, day-to-day functions of lawyers, courts, and the law in personal injury, divorce, employment relations, real estate, and commercial practice; criminal justice; and the appellate process. This "real-world" approach helps students to grasp how law operates in the everyday world while encouraging them to look beyond the mass media's negative portrayals of lawyers, police, and litigants.
In order to teach students how to conduct interviews, the authors provide succinct explanations of the judicial process, define legal terms, and provide references for further study.
About the Author
Richard A. Brisbin Jr., is Associate Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University.
John C. Kilwein is Associate Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University.
Table of Contents
PrefaceI. THE REAL WORLD OF LAW AND COURTS
II. THE CIVIL JUSTICE PROCESS
1. Perspectives on Personal Injury Lawyers: Paul Cranston and Dan Cooper
2. Lawyer for the Middle Class: Deborah Pascente Lifka
3. The Family Law Attorney: Scott Friedman
4. The Lawyer in the Large Firm: Scott Himsel
5. The Commercial Practice Attorney: Jeffrey M. Byer
6. The Litigation of Intellectual Property: Earl Levere
7. The Bankruptcy Attorney: Selene Mazur
8. The Administrative Lawyer: Linda Rice
9. Litigating for the Outsider and Disadvantaged: Robert V. Eye
10. The Lawyer in Public Service: Anne M. Becker
III. CRIMINAL LITIGATION
11. City Police: Rita Peerenboom
12. The Detective: Michelle Reichenbach
13. The County Prosecutor: Traci Cook
14. The Federal Prosecutor: David Godwin
15. The Public Defender: J. Luis Guerrero
16. The Lawyer for Capital Punishment Defendants: Cynthia Short
IV. THE JUDICIARY
17. The Judge of a Limited-Jurisdiction Court: Dan Hogan
18. The State Trial Judge and Crime: Rick Saviagno
19. The State Trial Judge and Civil Justice: Steven King
20. The Federal Judge: Richard Stearns
21. The State Supreme Court Justice: Larry V. Starcher
V. HOW TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND GATHER LAW STORIES
VI. REFERENCES