Rating: 
Summary: Understand the law, but not how to write a will
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: An useful introduction to the American Legal System
Review: Ever heard of Tort Law? Roe V. Wade? The Miranda Warning? What is Constitutional Law, what rights does it protects? How does a lawsuit begin? What happens at trial? What is a criminal act? The answers to those and many other similar questions are in "Law 101" an excellent introduction to the American Legal System. In nine chapters, organized in questions and answers format, that cover Constituional Law, the litigation process, personal injuries and tort law, businesses, consumers and contract law, property law, criminal law and criminal procedure,the book offers an easy to read and highly educational insight of the legal system, explaining clearly how courts, judges, juries and lawyers operate and work to solve the legal issues that reflect everyday's life. Well written and covering the basic subjects that every lawyer learns during the first year of Law School, this book is accesible to lay readers and law students alike. Outstanding and useful. A five stars book that will help you to understand the law and many of the legal issues you commonly have to face.
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Summary: Law 101, The book to HAVE !
Review: 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.
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Summary: Every American should read this book
Review: I heard about this book on a web page about good books to read prior to law school. I just finished reading it yesterday, and I am very impressed. The author writes in such a way that any reader can acquire a basic understanding of our legal system. He explores the foundational areas of our body of laws, and he describes both sides of hotly debated issues such as abortion and the death penalty. Most of all, the author emphasizes that the law is not something that ordinary people cannot understand. It is not just for lawyers, judges, and politicians. Rather, the law is determined by the way we shape our society, and it starts from the ground up.
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Summary: A Great Intro to the Basics - and a fun read!
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the basics of law but does not want to read through tedious, mind-numbing text. This book covers a lot of ground (basically all of the main doctrines of US law) and is entertaining at the same time due to the author's clear / concise narrative and numerous examples. From the beginning, Feinman explains that "law is not in the law books" but that law "lives in conduct; it exists in the interactions of judges, lawyers and ordinary citizens". Law is how we interpret it to be at a given time - it is in and of the people. From this and other insights, Feinman has helped me gain a greater appreciation for the US legal system as well as making me a more legal savvy citizen. In this day and age this is important - at one time or another we will all have to consult a lawyer for something.
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Summary: A Pre-law student must
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent intro to the law
Review: 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.
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Summary: Want to know how to be a lawyer?
Review: If you do read this book. Law 101 gives you the perfect intro into the world of law. This book tells you what is a suitable case, how to compile a case, and the terms one needs to know about the American legal system. This book is amazing! Jay M. Feinman does it again!
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Summary: just fairy tales for children
Review: I`ve been practicing a law for five years in Europe and I could not learn anything from this book.The authors just tells us interesting stories simply to amuse readers not to provide
serious and meaningful information about American legal system.
Too much bubbles...
Rating: 
Summary: Law 101 is a clear introduction to law for non-lawyers.
Review: Law is everywhere, and it seems so complicated. Why are there legal technicalities that trip up the police and allow criminals to get off? Why did McDonald's have to pay a half million dollars to an elderly woman who spilled coffee on her lap? How does the Supreme Court figure out what the words of the Constitution mean in situations the Framers never dreamed of? Lawyers are trained to understand issues like these, and there are plenty of resources to help them. I teach at Rutgers School of Law, Camden, and our law library has over 400,000 volumes in which lawyers can find statutes, judicial opinions, and learned commentary on the law. Law 101 is for everybody else. It explains to the non-lawyer the rules, principles, and arguments that lawyers and judges use. The premise of the book is straightforward: It's not easy to decide legal questions, but anyone can acquire a basic understanding of what the questions involve. Each of the chapters of the book covers one of the basic subjects that every lawyer learns during the first year of law school: Constitutional law, civil rights, civil procedure and the litigation process, torts, contracts, property, criminal law, and criminal procedure. In each chapter you learn the fundamental principles that underlie the subject, acquire a legal vocabulary, and see how the rules are applied in ordinary and unusual situations. The book engages you in the process of lawmaking by asking you to think about the tough questions and troubling cases that lawyers and judges face. You will have some fun along the way, too, because the situations the law deals with are sometimes amusing or outrageous but always interesting. After reading this book, when you hear about controversial legal issues you will have a better sense of the background and the complexity of the issues and you will be better able to make your own judgments about what the law should be. You also will be better prepared to think about the legal problems that you may encounter in everyday life, from owning a home to suing someone to asserting your constitutional rights. If you ever have thought about going to law school, Law 101 will give you a taste of what it is like. And if you are a student, either in law school or elsewhere, it will give you the big picture of basic legal subjects that otherwise can be hard to obtain.
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