American Law: A Comparative Primer

This concise primer offers an introduction to U.S. law from a comparative perspective, explaining not only the main features of American law and legal culture, but also how and why it differs from that of other countries. Gerrit De Geest initially focuses on the core characteristics of American law, such as the predominance of judge-made law, the significance of state law and the vital role that juries play in the legal process. De Geest then moves on to provide a succinct analysis of U.S. legal culture, before summarizing the principal differences in law and legal cultures around the world.

Key features include:

• A thorough introduction to the main elements of U.S. law for international students
• A concise, accessible style illustrated with lively anecdotes and discussion of relevant foundational cases
• Explanation of the historical and cultural roots of law in the U.S. and other countries to provide context for differences

Students beginning LLM programs in the U.S., in particular international students, will find this primer invaluable reading. It will also be of interest to pre-law and comparative law students.