FROM THE EDITORS
HOW THE U.S. COURT SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
Professor Toni Fine, associate director, Global Law
School Program, New York University School of Law, discusses the
mechanics of the U.S. court system and how each set of courts
fits into the overall scheme.
PLAYERS IN THE JUDICIAL PROCESS
Contributing editors Stuart Gorin and Bruce Carey
interview the an assistant U.S. attorney, a public defender, an
attorney and a judge on their roles in the judicial process.
KEY DISTINCTIONS IN THE U.S. COURT SYSTEM
Osborne E. Ayscue, Jr., president of the American
College of Trial Lawyers, writes on the two separate forms of
court proceedings: criminal and civil, and explains the
distinctions that are key to an understanding of the U.S system
of justice.
COMMON LAW V. CIVIL LAW SYSTEMS
As a co-equal branch of government, the judiciary
operates free of control by the executive and legislative
branches, deciding cases impartially, uninfluenced by popular
opinion. Judge Peter Messitte, U.S. District Court, Maryland,
looks at the origins of common and civil law and how they both
function today.
JUDICIAL ETHICS AND THE RULE OF LAW
In a telepress conference to Slovenian judges,
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy talks about how the
judicial branch of government must guarantee the neutrality of
the rule of law.
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION:
THE
SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT CHANGED A NATION
Contributing editor David Pitts traces the origins
of one of the most important decisions in the history of U.S.
constitutional law -- Brown v. Board of Education -- an
opinion that changed the nation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Articles, books and videos on the U.S. courts and
legal system.
INTERNET SITES
World Wide Web sites on the U.S. courts and legal
system, including a glossary of legal terms. The opinions
expressed on other Internet sites listed here do not necessarily
represent the views of the U.S. government.
