The chapters of the volume generally follow the well-worn path of most textbooks of judicial politics, making the volume an easy companion for adoption, and the material should fit seamlessly into the preestablished structures of most courses. Finally, the volume is an open-source resource, and adoption of the text adds no cost for our students.
Whether one uses one or ten articles, the cost remains nil. This volume includes twenty-two original contributions that we have grouped into nine parts. The studies cover the breadth and scope of the field of judicial politics, with attention to appellate and trial courts, national high courts and intermediate appellate courts, and US courts and their international counterparts, thus providing a large range of materials to complement any judicial process course or text.
We are especially pleased that undergraduate students played key roles in the creation of several of these studies, performing data collection and analysis as well as complete authorship from stem to stern. For the second edition, we have added fifteen articles that continue to illustrate key concepts and aspects of judicial politics, following the same formula of empirical research tailored to an undergraduate audience, accompanied by a variety of classroom activities.
Open Source Property: A Free Casebook is a free resource for instructors and students of the first-year Property Law course at American law schools, and anyone else with an interest in the subject. Undergraduate business law textbook written by Melissa Randall and Community College of Denver Students in collaboration with lawyers and business professionals for use in required level business law courses in the United States. This book is an introductory survey of the legal topics required in undergraduate business law classes.
We wanted this casebook to be as easy to use and understand as possible. Accordingly, we included not only cases, but also the text of the rules and restatements, as well as concise explanations of the relevant law. Each chapter of the book addresses a different issue, in the following format. First, it clearly and concisely explains the relevant law governing that issue. Then provides the relevant text of any statutes, Model Rules, sections of the Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers, or other sources, with a link to an open-source versions of the full text, when available.
It provides one or more heavily edited cases intended to illustrate the application of the law at issue, with a link to an open-source version of the full text of the case. I thought this textbook would be one I could be comfortable with adopting for my class. It contains the major topics, relative to Criminal Law, that are consistent with the topics in many of the leading textbooks for purchase and that I have used before.
In conclusion, this book appears to be a good textbook overall based on the above reasons provided in the review above and one that I may consider recommending to others. Reviewing the TOC provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter found in typical Criminal Law textbooks.
In comparison to another book, they cover the same material such as sources and limitations of law, jurisdiction and defining In comparison to another book, they cover the same material such as sources and limitations of law, jurisdiction and defining elements of a crime.
This text utilizes reliable sourced information that are accessible in the text to check for accuracy. I believe the book is presented in a neutral manner and is unbiased. The information has a mixed of old and new content indicative of various criminal law books.
Different types of dated content are necessary to understand application of law and diverse decisions by judicial bodies. Clarity in this text comes from the chunked structure, followed by practical examples and exercises. This book is consistent with the learning objectives, content and exercises to match objectives.
The consistency should be helpful for those needing to be in compliance with Bloom's Taxonomy. This book is complied nicely. Instead of reading a very long page of information online, the sections were divided by subject matter and thoroughly covered content in a succinctly.
Structurally, the text was easy to navigate and read. The charts and images were not distorted or distracting. I did not get a sense that the book was culturally insensitive. The focus of the text was an introduction to the topic of criminal law and is neutral in its presentation of cases and facts. The text appears comprehensive but the lack of a Table of Contents page makes it difficult to assess at first glance the scope of the work.
It is written in a way that it could be easily updated by adding relevant cases e. I can see such concepts being made relevant by a switch to the case du jour. The text was inclusive and relevant for today's criminal justice system debates and controversies. I would have liked to know the author and the TOC should have been displayed at the front-end.
Other than that, great work! Criminal law textbooks require a number of specific topics in order to meet the expectations of the course. This textbook contains those essential elements.
The table of contents very clearly outlines each chapters and subsection so that An appendix contains a listing of relevant cited case citations for further review. There does not appear to be a glossary or index apart from the appendix but each chapter concludes with an "End of Chapter" section that lists answers to exercises, questions, case listings, summaries, and links to applicable cases, articles, and websites.
This text follows the standard format that most criminal law texts adopt. Each subsection within the 14 chapters can be easily updated with seminal cases that may emerge. Most of the content within this text will remain intact but the format allows for efficient updates, as necessary.
The author utilizes examples that will be of interest for a number of years. This was one of the text's key strengths.
This text was extremely accessible to students of all levels. It contained excellent examples and explanations that illustrated each of the main concepts.
I especially enjoyed the author's writing style. I found the prose both well-written and conversational, which contributes to the strength of this text. The presentation of the material throughout each chapter was complemented by interesting examples and critical thinking exercises that encourage application of the material.
This text followed a consistent framework throughout. Each chapter was laid out in the established format containing each of the content areas. The material was presented with applicable exercises and questions throughout. Each chapter concludes with an "End of Chapter" section that lists answers to exercises, questions, case listings, summaries, and links to applicable cases, articles, and websites.
I found the summaries and exercises especially useful. Key words are italicized for emphasis and quick reference. The chapters were easy to follow as they contained a number of subheadings to keep the material organized. Further, each chapter is made up of specific learning objectives that conclude with exercises and reference material. Each chapter is made up of specific learning objectives that can be easily assigned based on content areas within the course.
These objectives are fairly brief and contain exercises and reference material at the conclusion. I found this approach to be a key strength of this text since it offers a framework for assignment creation and discussion of key points within each chapter. When you look at how many learning objectives are actually contained within the entire text, there are hundreds of links to websites with reference material and exercises that students can complete independently or as part of a classroom discussion.
I also enjoyed the pictures, graphics, and illustrations used to develop the material. Each objective contains an interesting component entitled "key takeaways" that lists a sentence or two describing the main points to recall. I checked a number of the links within the text and they all worked for me.
I also used the table of contents to navigate through the text and was able to get to each section very easily. The table of contents and home buttons appear on the upper right corner and allow the reader to quickly locate the area that they need. The table of contents lists each chapter and unit by number and title topic for ease of use.
I do not recall noticing any grammatical errors. This is exceptionally important since a textbook and author lose credibility when there are a number of grammatical issues. I would certainly adopt this text.
I found it as sufficient as any other criminal law text offered for purchase. Though the text lacks both an index and a glossary, these are unnecessary in a searchable electronic document.
A table of contents is likewise unnecessary in a PDF in which bookmarks have been added to navigate the contents of the text. Such is the case here; however the text, by default, should open with the bookmarks displayed. The lack of these traditional elements would only be inconvenient for the undoubtedly small percentage of students who prefer to print the whole book. Bearing in mind that the purpose of the text is to provide a broad overview of the subject for undergraduate students, the key concepts and summaries are accurate.
Periodic updates will be necessary due to developments in both statutory and case law. The extensive use of links to external sites might pose a problem should the site addresses change.
New terms are clearly introduced to the reader and subsequently integrated into the text; however, the author identifies these new terms inconsistently see Consistency below. The text is consistent in terms of both its visual and stylistic presentation, but less so in its introduction of key terms, which the author introduces or uses in italics, bold, and blue with no discernible purpose.
The blue font, though more eye-catching, is confusing at times because it is also used extensively throughout the text for hyperlinks. To compound the confusion, the author chose not to underline these links. The chapters and sections also lend themselves for use as selected readings. The author has organized the text in a manner that will be familiar anyone who has every used a survey text in substantive criminal law.
The sequential progression of this content is appropriate and the amount of space given to each topic is balanced for the most part though the author spends more time explaining the legal system than the traditional criminal law survey text.
The author has included a significant number of graphic embellishments to set off ancillary material from the body of the text and graphic aids. Neither add much to the text and both are stylistically problematic—making too much use of unnecessary colors and graphic effects as well as contributing to a number of odd page breaks throughout the text.
Some of the graphic aids are too complicated. Others employ an inappropriate graphic layout for the information being presented. The remaining charts would be more appealing and easier to comprehend if they were re-done in simple, black and white, line art.
There were a few minor errors in grammar and punctuation—no glaring problems—and overall it was quite grammatically solid. This is an excellent introductory text for undergraduates. The textbook does a good job of introducing the basic legal concepts of criminal law, but it would not be appropriate for a law school course as it does not have the depth or technical The textbook does a good job of introducing the basic legal concepts of criminal law, but it would not be appropriate for a law school course as it does not have the depth or technical.
However, there is not a table of contents, index or glossary incorporated into the body of the text. This makes it rather difficult to navigate from section to section without having to scroll up and down unnecessarily through text to find things. The book has an accurate presentation of general information given that the book is not meant to be a treatise in law school. Most of the content is up-to-date and will not be obsolete quickly.
However, there are external links that may expire and that may require vigilance by the instructor in ensuring the currency of the link. Updates should be relatively easy as the text is written in a modular way. The book is written in a concise way that is extremely "user friendly" with accessible prose. The usage of visual aids and formatting techniques to emphasize different concepts further aids the reader's understanding. The text is internally consistent in style, terminology, formatting and presentation of information.
The text is written in a modular way that would be easy to reorganize without any disruption to the reader. If left in its current form, the text would benefit from subheadings that are numbered into even more specific subsets with indentations.
The organization, structure and flow of the material is one of the greatest strengths of the book. It has a natural sequence that is appealing and logical. Images and charts are often distorted and the text is not always formatted in the most readable style--the consistent spacing of text is monotonous to the eye. Varying the paragraph and sentence spacing as well as ensuring page breaks and headings are logically placed is essential and missing in the text. The book is topically sound, covering the appropriate subjects for an introduction to criminal law.
Unfortunately, there is no index or glossary or table of contents within the text. This concern, This concern, along with other issues I have with the text, are issues that should be resolved through the editing process. However, this book deals with broad concepts appropriately. Criminal law is always evolving. However, the core concepts provided in this text have and should continue to stand the test of time. If adopting the text, I would consider saving all hyperlinked materials to a location over which the professor has control, thereby ensuring students would have access for the duration of the course.
The author does an excellent job of writing in understandable language with careful discussion and explanation of key technical terms.
The book is consistent in its approach, terminology and depth of treatment of the covered topics. The book is arranged by chapter and then section — i. The logical use of such section numbers allows for shorter assignment of readings. The book provides a basic introduction of criminal law, the US legal system and its constitutional protections before delving into traditional areas of coverage in a criminal law text — general elements of and defenses to a crime and specific offenses.
As discussed in the previous response, the chapters are broken down into logical sections. Page breaks are often in the wrong place, fonts and spacing are inconsistent and many of the charts and illustrations are fuzzy and difficult to read. As a result of the "star" ratings system, this review may appear to be very positive. Indeed, the author should be applauded for creating a very strong manuscript appropriate for undergraduate students and law students seeking to supplement their understanding of criminal law issues.
Unfortunately, the text, as currently available, is extremely difficult to fully utilize given the lack of table of contents, index and glossary and the obvious need for a final polish to correct page breaks, font inconsistencies, and blurry charts.
A professor interested in adopting this book should anticipate devoting significant time to revising and editing for use in his or her course -- work which could ultimately be broadly disseminated pursuant to the creative commons licensing. Absent such efforts, students would immediately appreciate the difference in this open textbook and a traditional one, likely to their detriment. For a text aimed at undergraduates, very comprehensive; it covers all of the topics in criminal law that ought to be covered.
Definitely not out-of-date. The book provides plenty of contemporary examples and refers to new cases. Of course, at some point in the future, a new edition would be appropriate.
No problems at all. In fact, good transitions from one topic to the next and the book and each chapter were well-organized. Please see comment above. Again, I thought that it was easy to read. There were not large pieces of text that were hard to swallow. I thought that the orgzanization made sense. Some topics ought to be introduced before others. The introduction did a good job of setting up the rest of the book.
It's hard to write a textbook about any legal topic that would be appropriate for undergraduates. This book strikes the right balance. It's as good as any other text on criminal law that I've encountered so far.
Criminal Law uses a two-step process to augment learning, called the applied approach. First, after building a strong foundation from scratch, Criminal Law introduces you to crimes and defenses that have been broken down into separate components.
It is so much easier to memorize and comprehend the subject matter when it is simplified this way. However, becoming proficient in the law takes more than just memorization.
You must be trained to take the laws you have studied and apply them to various fact patterns. Most students are expected to do this automatically, but application must be seen, experienced, and practiced before it comes naturally. Thus the second step of the applied approach is reviewing examples of the application of law to facts after dissecting and analyzing each legal concept. Some of the examples come from cases, and some are purely fictional. All the examples are memorable, even quirky, so they will stick in your mind and be available when you need them the most like during an exam.
After a few chapters, you will notice that you no longer obsess over an explanation that doesn't completely make sense the first time you read it—you will just skip to the example. The examples clarify the principles for you, lightening the workload significantly. Content Accuracy rating: 5 The textbook is generally accurate and error-free.
Clarity rating: 5 The textbook works well as the primary textbook for an upper-division, undergraduate textbook. Consistency rating: 5 I found the textbook to be internally consistent and easily supplemented with outside information. Modularity rating: 5 With the exception of the first two chapters, both of which provide general background and fundamental principles surrounding criminal law, the textbook chapters are easily re-arranged to fit different course schedules. Interface rating: 5 Neither I, nor my students, faced any significant interface issues using this textbook.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5 I have not identified any grammatical errors. Cultural Relevance rating: 5 I did not find the textbook to be culturally insensitive or offensive. Comments Overall, I would recommend this textbook to instructors teaching an upper-division, undergraduate course in criminal law.
Content Accuracy rating: 3 The content appears to be unbiased. Clarity rating: 4 The text is written in a way that should be accessible to most undergraduate students. Consistency rating: 5 The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Modularity rating: 5 The text gets high marks on modularity.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5 With a few exceptions, the text is grammatical. Cultural Relevance rating: 4 The text is not overtly insensitive or offensive. Content Accuracy rating: 2 On one occasion the year cited on an important case from was cited as a case. Consistency rating: 4 Framework is consistent and terminology is accurate but often includes too many civil law references. Modularity rating: 4 Great modularity, but not clear how material can be integrated with other source material.
Interface rating: 3 I encountered a couple of dead links. Grammatical Errors rating: 5 I did not notice any grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5 The textbook raises the complex issues of race and ethnicity in criminal law in a responsible and sensitive manner. Comments This OER textbook seems to be an excellent start to an interactive textbook on Criminal Law, unfortunately, I am not ready to adopt in its current form.
Content Accuracy rating: 5 I found very few if any errors in this textbook. Consistency rating: 5 This book was consistent all the way through. Modularity rating: 5 I really liked how the chapters are divided up into reasonable chunks with clear and bold headings.
Interface rating: 5 I did not notice any problems in this area, and heard no complaints from students either. Grammatical Errors rating: 5 I did not notice any grammatical errors -- and I greatly appreciated how the case and statutory citations were all correct!! Cultural Relevance rating: 5 I do not recall reading any portions of the texts including examples that were insensitive or offensive.
Comments This is an overall excellent textbook! Content Accuracy rating: 5 The broad concepts covered in this book and the materials used to present them contains no inaccurate information or bias presentation. Clarity rating: 5 The book is very easy to follow and written in such a way as students of all levels should be able to read and understand the materials. Consistency rating: 5 The book generally is consistent throughout as it relates to the layout of chapters, terminology, formatting and presentation of information.
Modularity rating: 5 The text is written in a logical, easy to follow, modular format that allows for easy reorganization and assignments for students. Interface rating: 4 I did not see any major problems with student textbook interface. Grammatical Errors rating: 5 I did not notice any glaring grammatical errors. Cultural Relevance rating: 5 The book appears to be culturally appropriate for the course and subject matter.
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Examples and case studies are used throughout to illustrate complex points.
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