III 
Contents 
Part 1 Basics of Legal English 
Chapter 1 Introduction 4 
Chapter 2 Historical Development of Legal English 6 
Chapter 3 Characteristics of Legal English 8 
Chapter 4 General Legal Terms 11 
Chapter 5 The Importance of Legal English 21 
Part 2 Anglo-American Legal Culture 
Chapter 6 The Common Law and the Civil Law 31 
Chapter 7 Court System in the United States 40 
Chapter 8 Judges in Common Law System 50 
Chapter 9 Jury Trial 62 
Chapter 10 Legal Education and Admission to the Bar 70 
Chapter 11 Legal Profession and Legal Ethics 82 
Part 3 Sketches of American Law 
Chapter 12 Constitutional Law 96 
Chapter 13 Contracts 120 
Chapter 14 Torts 151 
Chapter 15 Property Law 176 
Chapter 16 Evidence Law 201 
Chapter 17 Criminal Law/Criminal Procedure 227 

IV 
Part 4 Legal Writing 
Chapter 18 Introduction 259 
Chapter 19 Writing E-mails 273 
Chapter 20 Writing Letters 280 
Chapter 21 Briefing Cases 308 
Appendix A Legal Terms Discrimination 317 
Appendix B Constitution of the United States of America 323 
References 342