Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants
The treatment of foundational legal concepts in introductory criminal justice textbooks
Department
School of Criminal Justice
College
College of Community and Public Service
Date Range
2010-2011
Abstract
Understanding the United States legal system and the way in which laws are created is essential for the criminal justice student. This study examines the coverage and depth of treatment in introductory criminal justice textbooks of basic legal concepts, ranging from the organization of the court system and the difference between enacted law and common law to the ways in which laws are created, theories of jurisprudence, and the difference between primary law and secondary law. The authors will further discuss the impact of gaps in coverage of these foundational legal concepts on students' preparation for upper-level criminal justice courses.
Conference Name
Annual Conference
Conference Location
Toronto, ON
ScholarWorks Citation
Stevens, Ruth, "The treatment of foundational legal concepts in introductory criminal justice textbooks" (2010). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 99.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/99
