THE BOOK IS CONCERNED WITH THE INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COURTS--WHAT COURTS ARE, WHAT THEY DO, AND WHAT EFFECT THEIR ACTIVITIES HAVE. DEALING WITH ISSUES OF ACCESS, PARTICIPATION, DECISIONMAKING, AND RESULTS, THE WRITINGS EXPLORE HOW DISPUTES FIND THEIR WAY INTO COURTS, HOW DISPUTES ARE TRANSFORMED INTO CASES, HOW CASES BECOME COURT DECISIONS, AND HOW DECISIONS ALTER THE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH COURTS OPERATE. THE BOOK IS IN FOUR SECTIONS: INPUT, PARTICIPANTS, JUDICIAL DECISIONMAKING, AND POLICYMAKING. THE INPUT SECTION INCLUDES CHAPTERS ON COURTS AND THEIR ALTERNATIVES, DEMANDS MADE ON COURTS, DEMAND REGULATION IN TRIAL AND APPELLATE COURTS, AND SUPPORT FOR THE COURTS. LITIGANTS, LAWYERS, JUDGES (SELECTION AND BACKGROUND), AND JURIES ARE DISCUSSED IN THE PARTICIPANT SECTION. CHAPTERS ON JUDICIAL DECISIONMAKING INCLUDE ARTICLES ON FACTS AS BASES FOR DECISIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES; JUDICIAL BACKGROUNDS AND DECISIONS; JUDICIAL ATTITUDES, VALUES, AND DECISIONS; THE JUDICIAL ROLE; AND COURTS AS SMALL GROUPS. THE POLICY IMPACT OF COURTS, ESPECIALLY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, AND PROBLEMS OF COMPLIANCE ARE DISCUSSED IN THE FINAL SECTION. EACH CHAPTER IS INTRODUCED BY AN ESSAY. SOME OF THE WRITINGS INCLUDE SUPPORTING DATA AND LISTS OF REFERENCES. FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, SEE NCJ 54938 AND 55129-55132 (COURT INPUT); 55133 (LITIGATION); 55134 (JUDICIAL ROLE); AND 55135-55138 (POLICY). (LKM)