The US Justice System: An Encyclopedia reviewed here in its e‐book version is also available as a three‐volume print set print. The online version replicates the print version. According to the introductory material the encyclopedia contains the following information: the first volume has ten chapter‐length essays describing the organization, operation, and jurisdictions for federal, state, and local government, judiciaries, regulatory bodies, and penal systems; the second volume contains shorter alphabetically arranged entries that cover legal, judicial, and related subjects, including some biographical sketches, with each entry having between 500 and 2,000 words; the third volume contains original documents, statutes, and texts of important cases relevant to the justice system. A glossary of common words and phrases is included; along with a bibliography and subject index.
The online version is relatively easy to use with a simple interface and navigation; however, it may not be intuitive at first approach. The search feature automatically defaults to searching the entire ABC‐Clio eBook site, so a user needs to be careful to choose to search within the book only. Overall, users would not need a lot of time to search this encyclopedia. Once a search is conducted, the user has the ability to link directly to the information concerning a topic. The scope of the encyclopedia is enormously diverse with contributors from the fields of law, history, and politics. Researching particular topics in law can easily be accomplished using the advance search or browse search (table of contents). The content is presented in a list in the table of contents or by searching within the book. There is no indication of how it is ranked for relevancy. Many searches produced excellent material and some produced no material. The only way to find some material is to know the exact wording of the content or conduct a browse search. A help feature is provided for those needing assistance. There is no indication that the e‐book makes accommodations for physically challenged persons. An institution needing clarification on this issue would need to contact the vendor. The resource is available on a subscription basis with pricing information available from ABC‐Clio.
The US Justice System: An Encyclopedia is very well presented and documented. The content is presented in a language accessible to students and other non‐expert readers. It is recommended for academic, public, special and professional collections.
