The text outlines the organization of the Federal and State courts and analyzes the impact of organizational structures on courts' policy decisions. A discussion of lawyers focuses on the structure of the legal professions, the availability of legal services, and lawyer-client relationships. Following a survey of Federal and State judge selection systems, the book explores judges' backgrounds, activities on the bench, the quality of their work, and the importance of the individual element in judging. The chapter on criminal cases in trial courts focuses on prosecution decisions, plea bargains, trials, and sentencing decisions. A similar look at civil cases uses personal injury, debt collection, and divorce cases to explore decisions about initiating litigation, case processing, and patterns of outcomes. An explanation of the appellate court system addresses decisions to appeal, along with the screening of cases and the decisionmaking process. Also covered are the kinds of policies made by appellate courts and their impact. An epilogue discusses the possibilities for improving American courts. Charts, tables, footnotes, and index.