《法學專業英語教程》為教育部推薦教材，是全國首套大學專業英語教材。本英語教材專供具有大學英語四級水平的法律專業學生使用。它皎全面繫統地介紹了美國民商法的基本情況，又提供了案例閱讀，形成了一套精泛讀相結合、配有各種口筆頭練習的易於操作的全新的法學英語學習體繫。為適應不同課時需求，分別設計上、下冊及精編版。上、下兩冊版本適合開課一學年的院校選用；精編版則適合開課一學期的院校，節選上、下冊精華的內容整合為一本，以方便教學需要。修訂後的教材，以保證原教材的繫統性和完整性為前提，簡化詞語練習，突出專業性，又增加我們在新的國際形勢下較為關切的問題的新案例，比如聘用合同中的年齡歧視、刑事案件取證的合法性等等。
《法學專業英語教程（第四版·上）（大學專業英語繫列教材；教育部推薦教材）》為第四版上冊。

趙建，復旦大學法學院教授，曾參與《大學英語》、《新編大學英語二級測試/大學英語測試繫列》、《全新版大學英語(綜合教程學生用書)(普通高等教育“十五”國家級規劃教材)》等英語教材的編寫。

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Unit One Introduction to the American Legal System
Lesson One Complexity in the American Legal System
Lesson Two The Adversary System in the American
Judicial Process
Lesson Three Commencing a Lawsuit
Lesson Four Pre?trial Discovery
Lesson Five The Trial
Lesson Six Judgment， Enforcement， and Appeal
Lesson Seven Criminal Process
案例閱讀指導
Cases for Supplementary Reading
Unit Two Constitutional Law
Lesson One The Institutions of Government
Lesson Two Separation of Powers
Lesson Three Federal?State Relations
Lesson Four Civil Liberties
Cases for Supplementary Reading
Unit ThreeContracts
Lesson OneIntroduction
Lesson Two Performance and Non?performance
Lesson Three Contract Remedies and Computation of Damages
Lesson Four Rights of Third Parties
Lesson Five Sales Contracts
Cases for Supplementary Reading
AppendixⅠ Key to Exercises
AppendixⅡ Text Translation

Lesson One Complexity in the American Legal System

Two factors contribute to the complexity of the American legal system. They are the common law tradition and American federalism.
Law in Western societies has developed along two lines. In the countries of continental Europe and those areas influenced by them, the governing law dates back to Roman law and is known as the civil law system. The law with which the Americans are more familiar is known as the common law, which developed in English speaking countries.
The major differences between the two systems lie in the operation of the judicial process. Adjudication under the civil law is made by the judge following principles originating from Roman law and embodied at present under an extensive code of law in effect in that particular country. The judge must apply the appropriate section of the code to the case in court. The common law, on the other hand, develops more through the decisions of judges applying prior decisions of courts to the new facts at hand. Under the common law system, a very substantial part of law is not to be found in statutes enacted by legislatures but rather in cases. A case once decided establishes a binding precedent to a certain extent, and will be followed by the courts when similar issues arise later. Although judges tend to focus more upon statutes or administrative rules these days, the fact that they still review past cases before making a decision shows that adherence to decided cases is still kept as a tradition in American courts.

《法學專業英語教程》自問世以來已歷經二十年，期間經過兩次修訂，現仍然有一定市場，證明它經過時間的考驗，仍被法律專業的學生和法律界人士認可。現經使用院校要求，編者又對這套教材進行了修訂。
本次修訂的宗旨是在保持原版在法律知識方面的繫統性和完整性的前提下，使這套教材更專業，更簡潔，更新。為此，編者刪去了每課的重點詞語研究部分，簡化了練習，從而突出了本套教材作為法律專業英語課本的專業性。另外，還刪減了少量的課文和案例，使教材“瘦身”。同時，為反映美國近期法律的新發展，又增加了若干美國聯邦最高法院直至2019年的最新案例。新增的案例涉及我們在新的國際形勢下較為關切的問題，如聘用合同中的年齡歧視、刑事案件取證的合法性、美國法院的域外管轄及專利侵權行為的海外利潤、證券交易中的虛假陳述、主權國家是否有豁免權拒絕配合執行調查等等。
希望本教材經本次修訂以後，能在幫助使用者學習法律英語的同時，更有助於他們了解美國法律的歷史沿革、目前概貌以及最新動態。