The American legal system is the most significant in the world today, yet until the publication of Fundamentals of American Law, there has been no book that provides both the basic rules and the theoretical understanding necessary to comprehend it. This book is not simply the work of a single author, but a collection of especially written essays, each by an expert in the field, all of whom are on the faculty of New York University School of Law, which is recognised as one of the elite law schools in America and which offers this book as an element of its unique Global Law School Program. The book is written specifically for lawyers and law students all over the world who have a need to deal with American Law generally, but are not seeking to become specialists in any one area. For them, it is vital to understand the basic principles of a wide range of American legal fields so they can act as informed intermediaries between their public or private clients and their American counterparts. The book not only provides the reader with a solid foundation in American law, but will also serve as a basic reference book for the fundamentals, even as some of the details change over the years. It will also be an ideal course text for students of business, accountancy, political science, or public administration, where the enquiring student will constantly find intersections with the law.