本书共分十三部分：第一、二部分首先介绍了法律英语的基础知识；第三至第十二部分分别介绍了美国主干部门法；最后一部分简明介绍了引用(citation)的相关知识。

本书是法律英语精品系列教材中的一本，是法律英语精读教材。

Part One Introductions and Small Talks

  Chapter 1 How to Make Introductions

  Chapter 2 How to Start a Conversation

Part Two General Legal Terms

  Chapter 1 Quick Overview of the U.S. Court System

  Chapter 2 Jury Trial

  Chapter 3 The Adversary System

  Chapter 4 How Does a Civil Action Usually Start？

  Chapter 5 What Can an Appellate Court Do？

  Chapter 6 What Can an Appellate Judge Do？

Part Three Constitutional Law

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 The Judicial Power

  Chapter 3 Legislative Power

  Chapter 4 Individual Guarantees Against

     Governmental or Private Action

  Chapter 5 Retroactive Legislation

  Chapter 6 Procedural Due Process

  Chapter 7 Substantive Due Process

  Chapter 8 Equal Protection

  Chapter 9 Fundamental Rights

Part Four Contracts

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Basics of Contracts

  Chapter 3 Contract Formation

  Chapter 4 Capacity of a Contract

  Chapter 5 Vitiating Factors

  Chapter 6 Problems Involving Persons Other Than

     the Parties to the Original Contract

  Chapter 7 Discharge

  Chapter 8 Breach of Contract

  Chapter 9 Remedies for Breach of Contract

  Chapter 10 Dispute Settlement

Part Five Torts

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Intentional Torts

  Chapter 3 Defenses to Intentional Torts

  Chapter 4 Negligence

  Chapter 5 Cause in Fact

  Chapter 6 Proximate Cause

  Chapter 7 Multiple Tortfeasors

  Chapter 8 Damages for Personal Injuries

  Chapter 9 Limited Duty= Special Limitations on the Scope of Duty

  Chapter 10 Premises Liability= Duties of Owners and Occupiers of Land

  Chapter 11 Defenses

  Chapter 12 Vicarious Liability

  Chapter 13 Products Liability

  Chapter 14 Defamation

  Chapter 15 The Privacy Torts

  Chapter 16 Competitive Torts

Part Six Property Law

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Acquisition of Property

  Chapter 3 Possessory Estates

  Chapter 4 Future Interests

  Chapter 5 Concurrent Estates

  Chapter 6 Landlord and Tenant

  Chapter 7 Fixtures

  Chapter 8 Rights in the Land of Another--Easements,

     Profits, Covenants, and Servitudes

  Chapter 9 Conveyancing

  Chapter 10 Cooperatives, Condominiums, and Zoning

  Chapter 11 Nuisance

Part Seven Evidence Law

 Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 General Considerations

  Chapter 3 Relevance and Judicial Notice

  Chapter 4 Real Evidence

  Chapter 5 Documentary Evidence

  Chapter 6 Testimonial Evidence

  Chapter 7 The Hearsay Rule

  Chapter 8 Procedural Considerations

Part Eight Civil Procedure

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Personal Jurisdiction

  Chapter 3 Diversity of Citizenship Jurisdiction

  Chapter 4 Federal Question Jurisdiction

  Chapter 5 Venue

  Chapter 6 Removal Jurisdiction

  Chapter 7 Conflict of Jurisdiction Between

     State and Federal Courts

  Chapter 8 The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Part Nine Criminal Law

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 What Makes a Case a Criminal Case？

  Chapter 3 How to Interpret Criminal Statutes

  Chapter 4 How Defendants' Mental States Affect

     Their Responsibility for a Crime

  Chapter 5 Criminal Offenses

  Chapter 6 Felonies, Misdemeanors and Infractions

  Chapter 7 Implications of a Crime's Classification

Part Ten Criminal Procedure

  Chapter 1 Constitutional Restraints

  Chapter 2 Exclusionary Rule

  Chapter 3 Fourth Amendment

  Chapter 4 Confessions

  Chapter 5 Pretrial Procedures

  Chapter 6 Trial

  Chapter 7 Guilty Pleas and Plea Bargaining

  Chapter 8 Constitutional Rights in Relation to

     Sentence and Punishment

  Chapter  Constitutional Problems on Appeal

  Chapter 10 Rights During Punishment--Probation,

      Imprisonment, Parole

  Chapter 11 Double Jeopardy

  Chapter 12 Forfeiture Actions

Part Eleven Intellectual Property Law

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Trade Secrets

  Chapter 3 Patent

  Chapter 4 Copyright

  Chapter 5 Trademark Law

Part Twelve Business Law

  Chapter 1 Introduction to Business Forms

  Chapter 2 Partnership

  Chapter 3 Limited Liability Company

  Chapter 4 Corporation

  Chapter 5 Securities

  Chapter 6 Commercial Paper

Part Thirteen Understanding Legal Citations

  Chapter 1 How to Read a Case Citation

  Chapter 2 Subsequent Case History

  Chapter 3 Parentheticals

  Chapter 4 Parallel Citations

  Chapter 5 The Functions of Legal Citations

  Chapter 6 Understanding "ID. "

  Chapter 7 Using "ID. " with Parallel Citations

  Chapter 8 Short Citations

Appendix Key to the Quiz