Film and television interpretations of the legal system have captured the imagination of the American public, but how does the law really work? And more specifically, how does it shape other social institutions and interact with other academic disciplines? Law, Justice, and Society: A Sociolegal Introduction offers a compelling overview of the law, its eventful history, and its sociological implications. In this unique collaborative effort, renowned scholars Anthony Walsh and Craig Hemmens draw from their own research and first-hand experiences to examine the origins of the law; the history and development of the American legal system; the sociology of law; court structure; and the difference between civil and criminal law. This text provides students with a deeper understanding of five primary topics: * The role of law in society * The courts, law making, and criminal substantive and procedural law * The rule of law (including due process) * Comparative law * The law's treatment of minorities and minors, including a chapter on the legal dynamics of race and ethnicity Mary K. Stohr, a respected scholar in feminist criminal justice, contributes a chapter on women and the law. Pedagogical features include photographs, tables, extensive chapter bibliographies, a glossary of terms, chapter summaries, discussion questions, and lists of key terms, concepts, and cases. Engaging and accessible, Law, Justice, and Society is a lively guide to a vital and ever-changing institution in which we are all potential participants.

Anthony Walsh is Professor of Criminal Justice at Boise State University. He is the author of twenty books, including Correctional Assessment, Casework & Counseling (2005), Race and Crime: A Biosocial Analysis (2004), The Science of Love (1996), Biosociology: An Emerging Paradigm (1995), and Biosocial Criminology: Introduction and Integration (2001). He is coauthor of Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2006), Essential Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2000), From Law to Order: The Theory and Practice of Law and Justice (2000), and Viva la Difference! A Celebration of the Sexes (1993). He is editor of Biosocial Criminology: Challenging Environmentalism's Supremacy (2003) and coeditor of Criminology and Biology: The Biosocial Synthesis (2008), Fundamentals of Criminology: A Text/Reader (2008), and Corrections: A Text/Reader (2008).
Craig Hemmens is Director of the Honors College and Professor of Criminal Justice at Boise State University. He is coauthor of An Introduction to Criminal Evidence: Cases and Concepts (OUP, 2008); Criminal Evidence: An Introduction (OUP, 2005); the three-volume series Criminal Justice Case Briefs: Significant Cases in Criminal Procedure, Corrections, and Juvenile Justice (OUP, 2004); From Law to Order: The Theory and Practice of Law and Justice (2000); and Use of Force: Current Practice and Policy (1999). He is editor of Current Legal Issues in Criminal Justice (OUP, 2006) and coeditor of The Inmate Prison Experience (2003).