编者参考了大量的美国原版法学书籍，包括美国法学院教材及大量判例，力求实现教材内容的权威性和丰富性。

本书引用了许多极具代表性的英文案例。英美法系是判例法系，无论是法官还是律师都特别注重对判例的研究，因此学习美国法不能绕过案例，通过研究案例更有利于掌握标准的法律英语，也更容易掌握美国法的精髓。本书选取了十几个经典案例，以期最大程度的展现美国法原貌。

本书在每部分后面都附有相关的练习题，以期帮助读者检查自己学习掌握法律英语术语、基础美国法知识和逻辑推理知识的程度，查漏补缺。

随着我国入世和世界经济一体化进程的不断加快，国际交流合作日益增多，涉外法务活动空前频繁，法律英语的重要性日益凸显。掌握专业英语已经成为现代法律人必备的职业素质。由于法律英语的特殊性，国内一直没有一个科学的考核指标衡量法律从业人员专业英语的掌握程度。法律英语证书(LEC)全国统一考试的推出为我国法律英语的教与学指明了方向，意义重大，影响深远。

Part One Basics of Legal English

 Chapter 1 Introduction

 Chapter 2 Historical Development of Legal English

 Chapter 3 Characteristics of Legal English

 Chapter 4 Terms and Rules in Legal English

 Chapter 5 General Legal Terms

 Chapter 6 Legal Citations

Part Two American Legal Regime

 Chapter 1 Overview of the U. S. Court System

 Chapter 2 Jury Trial

 Chapter 3 The Adversary System

 Chapter 4 Appellate Courts

 Chapter 5 Appellate Judges

 Chapter 6 Court Opinions and Case Digests

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 Duties : 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 States 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 Implications of a Crime's Classification

Part Ten Criminal Procedure

 Chapter 1 Constitutional Restrains

 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 9 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 Logical Reasoning

 Chapter 1 Introduction

 Chapter 2 Assumptions

 Chapter 3 Method of Argument

 Chapter 4 Faulty Logic

 Chapter 5 Strengthening or Weakening

 Chapter 6 Parallel Reasoning

 Chapter 7 Inference

 Chapter 8 Other Question Types

Appendix: Key to the Exercises

References