The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford Companions) [Hardcover]

Kermit L. Hall (Editor), David S. Clark (Editor), James W. Ely (Editor), Joel B. Grossman (Editor), N. E. H. Hull (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195088786 | ISBN-13: 978-0195088786 | Publication Date: May 2, 2002 | Edition: 1

A landmark in legal publishing, The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court is a now classic text many of whose entries are regularly cited by scholars as the definitive statement on any particular subject. In the tradition of that work, editor in chief Kermit L. Hall offers up The Oxford Companion to American Law, a one-volume, A-Z encyclopedia that covers topics ranging from aging and the law, wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping, the Salem Witch Trials and Plessy vs. Ferguson.
The Companion takes as its starting point the insight that law is embedded in society, and that to understand American law one must necessarily ask questions about the relationship between it and the social order, now and in the past. The volume assumes that American law, in all its richness and complexity, cannot be understood in isolation, as simply the business of the Supreme Court, or as a list of common law doctrines. Hence, the volume takes seriously issues involving laws role in structuring decisions about governance, the significance of state and local law and legal institutions, and the place of American law in a comparative international perspective. Nearly 500 entries are included, written by over 300 expert contributors.
Intended for the working lawyer or judge, the high school student working on a term paper, or the general adult reader interested in the topic, the Companion is the authoritative reference work on the subject of American law.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This ambitious reference offers a broad understanding of American legal issues. Hall, president of Utah State University and a professor of history there, has edited or coedited 12 books, including two other "Oxford Companion" volumes. Many types of scholars, including historians, political scientists, and lawyers, have contributed the 486 alphabetically arranged entries. The entries consider how law, legal institutions, and court decisions are related to social demands and legal responses. The formal institutions in which the law operates receive significant attention, as do key legal issues, for example, civil rights and civil liberties. Entries such as "Technology and the Law," "Law and Literature," and "United States Obligations to the U.N." consider connective linkages concerning legal, social, and political systems. The volume also includes standard legal terms and key legal concepts, such as verdicts and venues, as well as biographical statements about leading individuals in the legal profession such as Judge Arthur T. Vanderbilt. A novel element in this work is its inclusion of broad essays on the history of law in the United States, which demonstrate how legal culture has changed across social eras. Other useful features are extensive cross referencing and the longer essays on key issues, such as abortion and reproductive decisions, criminal law principles, and consumer law. With a substantial breadth of information and analysis, this volume is accessible to every reader. All libraries will find it an invaluable reference source.
Steven Puro, St. Louis Univ.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This title bills itself as "a comprehensive guide to every aspect of law in America." Although that statement is hyperbole, this is perhaps the best one-volume encyclopedia of American law to be published in a long time. Editor Hall, president of Utah State University and a specialist in the history of law, has overseen another Oxford title--Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States (Oxford, 1992)--that will be a standard for many years. His group of contributors includes legal and historical scholars, faculty of law schools, judges, and legal writers.

The book contains nearly 500 articles arranged in an A-Z format. Numerous see also references direct readers to similar topics in the book. Cross-references are denoted within the text for easy travel between articles. Individual cases of American law have, for the most part, been left out of the list of entry headings. There is an index to cases though; that leads readers to the article(s) where the case is discussed. A few extremely important or popular cases are included as entries (Brown v. Board of Education; Leopold and Loeb case; Simpson, O. J., trials of). The same is true for people--only well-known or important historical figures are given individual articles.

Articles are generally several pages long and written at a level that is easily understood. Topics as arcane and confusing as intellectual property law and torts are explained with a minimum of legalese. With the ease of comprehension and the thorough main index, the volume is a good place for students to start school papers. College students will find the bibliography after each article useful in going further in their selected topics. Like law itself, the book is already out-of-date, as topics such as internment and privacy must be reconsidered after laws passed following the September 11, 2001, tragedy. However, this should not deter any library from purchasing this title. Readers will find a sometimes difficult topic covered in a simple, concise, and clear manner. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 944 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (May 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195088786
• ISBN-13: 978-0195088786
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > History
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  • #63 in Books > Law > Legal History

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars American Law, August 22, 2002

By 

J. Lindner (Gem Lake, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford Companions) (Hardcover)

I came by this book while actually looking for something else, and found it to be very informative and useful. Similar to other Oxford companions it is cross-referenced and attempts to be usable to both the legal community as well as ordinary people.

The bookk is centered upon themes in law (common law, constitutional law, environmental law, etc. rather than specific cases, which makes it a bit cumbersome until the reader learns what the book is really meant to provide. If one is looking for specific Supreme Court cases then the companion to the Supreme Court should be consulted. But the point is that other books are out there for specific case histories. This book attempts to pull legal issues together into a single point of reference. True legal scholars will likely feel this book is too brief on specifics, but the lay reader will find it useful in putting perspective on common legal questions of the present.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Engaging Legal Resource, December 23, 2009

By 

Mike Robinson "Mike A Robinson: Apologetic An... (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford Companions) (Hardcover)

The colossal "The Oxford Companion to American Law" is a valuable legal resource for the untrained person and the mature attorney. It borders on 900 pages and is written so well one can read many of its entries in a relaxated state. 300 top legal scholars offer the reader 468 articles.

The editors make this a very handy compilation inasmuch as they provide:

- Indexes of subjects and cases (including citations)
- Cross-referenced and user-friendly entries
- Current sources on all the topics covered.

The essays are written with fine concision and a readable style. There are not many resources that can match its comprehensiveness and its skill in communicating difficult legal concepts and laws.

Hall delivers solid coverage on:

- Institutions
- Legal Doctrines
- Forensic concepts
- Important persons, events, and legal cases.


One disappointment for me was: TOCAL lacks an entry on perjury. Nonetheless thisis a marvelous resource for the legal advocate or the non-professional.
There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies

13 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Useful but has some biased entries....., September 19, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford Companions) (Hardcover)

This tome (*large* volume) contains much interesting and useful material but, unfortunately, a very few of its authors have an ideological axe to grind. A publication of this sort should be aimed at objectivity, and not be a forum for certain "contributors" to propagate their personal sociological/political agendas.

Otherwise, I find this to be a generally worthwhile publication, but do be on your guard. =)