Law in America
A Modern Library Chronicle

A Study Of The Nature Of American Law Professor Lawrence Friedman's book is subtitled "A Short History" of American Law. The book does indeed take a historical approach, but its subject is more the nature of American law than its detailed history. Professor Friedman describes how our law has become w......more

I picked this up as something of a primer before a deeper dive into American legal history, and, while its brevity is appreciated, it was really rather unsatisfying as a whole. Prof. Friedman is able and fluent at tracing legal development, but I never found his social commentary to be insightful in......more

Short on history, long on opinion. Most times more of an essay than a history.......more

Lawrence M. Friedman's Law in America remains true to its stated purpose: providing a concise yet insightful overview of the history of American law. Friedman argues that legal systems do not operate in isolation but mirror broader societal values and trends. He illustrates this vividly by contrasti......more

This book delivers what it promises with concision and style. It is a pithy overview of the development of core areas of law from the colonial period to the turn of the 21st century, and indirectly provides a roadmap to American government itself. Some legal fields (particularly criminal law) and er......more