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An Introduction to the American Legal System, Seventh Edition

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Authors
  • John M. Scheb
  • Hemant Sharma
Series / Aspen Paralegal Series
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Book length
736 pages
Publication Date
2026-02-13
Edition
Seventh Edition
Description
Table of contents
Preface

Buy a new version of this textbook and receive access to the Connected eBook with Study Center on Casebook Connect, including academic lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities. Access also includes practice questions, an outline tool, and other helpful resources. Connected eBooks provide what you need most to be successful in your law school classes.

An Introduction to the American Legal System, Seventh Edition, by John M. Scheb and Hemant Sharma,covers contemporary legal issues relevant to pre-law, paralegal, political science, and criminal justice students as they relate to their lives, the law, and the courts. The Seventh Edition provides historical context and timely coverage of all aspects of American law and the legal system. Current case examples, summaries, and relevant issues make this text a foundational element of your legal studies.

New to the Seventh Edition:

  • Includes new information about executive orders and presidential hiring and firing powers
  • Expanded coverage on the Supreme Court's religious freedom and gun rights cases
  • Updates on non-lethal weapons like stun guns permitted on college campuses
  • A closer look at how lawsuits have changed the nature of collegiate athletics and allowed student-athletes to profit from their "name, image, and likeness"
  • Emphasis on police interrogation tactics and search and seizure rights, including searches by immigration agents

Professors and students will benefit from:

  • A comprehensive overview of the history and structure of the American legal system, supported by current examples
  • Contemporary topical coverage of constitutional issues, torts, property law, contracts and business law, family law, legislation, and administrative law
  • Cases in Point that concisely illustrate how the law applies to today's world
  • Questions for discussion in every chapter that encourage debate
  • A well-crafted pedagogical design that includes learning objectives and chapter outlines
  • A four-part structure easily grasped by students: Foundations of the Legal System, Public Law, Private Law, and the Legal Process
  • Clear and accessible writing
  • A comprehensive glossary of legal terms
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Table of contents

Brief Contents

Preface 
About the Authors

Part I Foundations of the Legal System 
Chapter 1 Development of American Law 
Chapter 2 Structures of American Law 
Part II Public Law 
Chapter 3 Constitutional Law 
Chapter 4 Civil Liberties 
Chapter 5 Civil Rights 
Chapter 6 Criminal Law 
Chapter 7 Administrative Law 
Part III Private Law 
Chapter 8 Torts 
Chapter 9 Property Law 
Chapter 10 Contracts and Business Law 
Chapter 11 Family Law 
Part IV The Legal Process 
Chapter 12 Civil Procedure and the Rules of Evidence 
Chapter 13 Criminal Procedure 
Chapter 14 The Appellate Process 


Appendix A Glossary of Legal Terms 
Index 

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Preface
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About the authors
John M. Scheb
Faculty Fellow, Howard H. Baker, Jr., Center for Public Policy
University of Tennessee

John M. Scheb II is Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he specializes in public law and the judicial process. He attended the University of Florida from 1974 to 1982, receiving the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in political science. Professor Scheb has authored numerous articles in professional journals, including Social Science Quarterly, Justice System Journal, Political Behavior, American Politics Quarterly, Judicature, Journal of Politics, Law and Policy, and Tennessee Law Review. He is the coauthor of several other textbooks, including: American Constitutional Law, 6th ed. (Cengage Learning, 2015), Criminal Law & Procedure, 8th edition (Cengage Learning, 2014), and Administrative Law and Policy (Carolina Academic Press, 2021).

Hemant Sharma

Hemant Sharma is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he teaches courses on law, courts, and judicial processes. Dr. Sharma received his B.A. in English in 1997 from Cornell University, where he was a member of the Dean’s List, winner of the prestigious James E. Rice Writing Prize, and the goalkeeper for Cornell’s men’s soccer team, which reached the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1996. He subsequently earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His published research has appeared in Social Science Quarterly, Justice System Journal, Politics and Policy, Judicature, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Journal, and the Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy. He also has coauthored five other textbooks: American Government: The Evolution of a Constitutional Republic (Great River Learning, 2017); Administrative Law and Policy (Carolina Academic Press, 2021); Criminal Law (Cognella, 2024); Criminal Procedure (Cognella, 2024); Juvenile Delinquency (Justice Series) (Pearson, 2024).

Product Information
Edition
Seventh Edition
Publication date
2026-02-13
Copyright Year
2026
Pages
736
LLPOD
9798894102801
Connected eBook with Study Center (Digital Only)
9798894102788
Connected eBook with Study Center + Paperback
9798894102771
Subject
Introduction to Law
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