本教程的编写宗旨是将学习英语与了解英美法律紧密结合,即在学习英语的同时,使学生系统地了解英美法律制度的概貌及民法、商法、民事程序和刑事程序等基本内容,在了解英美法律的同时,学习和操练英美法律涉及的常用词汇和表达方式,在巩固一般语言知识和运用能力的基础上,进一步扩展学生的语言知识,提高学生的语言应用能力,特别是涉及法律的语言知识和运用能力,力求在学完全书之后,学生能借助字典和工具书较为顺利地阅读英美法律条文及案例,并能对一般难度的法律文件进行英汉互译。根据这些原则,我们修正了原版中少数不妥和不够完善的地方,同时又根据美国法律近年来的一些变化,更新了部分课文的有关内容,尤其是增加了一些2l世纪的*新案例,以反映在信息技术突飞猛进、社会经济发展日新月异、人们的法律意识日益增强的大背景下,法院面临的新挑战和作出的新判决;另外,在练习方面也增加了一些趣味性较强的内容。

Unit Four Negotiable Instruments and Secured Transactions
Lesson OneCommercial Paper and the Concept of Holder in Due Course
Lesson TwoCheck Collection and Allocation of Liability
Lesson Three The Bank and Its Customer: Rights, Duties and Liabilities
Lesson FourSecured Transactions
Cases for Supplementary Reading
(1) Bank of Miami v. Florida City Express,Inc. (1979)
(2) MidWisconsin Bank v. Forsgard Trading,Inc. (2003)
(3) Messing v. Bank of America (2002)
(4) Wachovia Bank, N. A. v. Federal ReserveBank (2003)
(5) Yacht Club Sales v. First Nat. Bank of North Idaho (1980)
(6) 5 Charles Ragusa & Son v. Community State Bank (1978)
(7) H. Schultz & Sons, Inc. v. Bank of SuffolkCounty ( 1977 )
(8) Gibbs v. King (1978)
(9) Chapman Parts Warehouse, Inc. v.Guderian (1980)
Unit Five The Law of Property
Lesson OneProperty: Real and Personal
Lesson TwoTransfer of Real Property
Lesson Three Real Estate Brokers and the Law of Agency
Lesson FourIntellectual Property
Cases for Supplementary Reading
(1) United States v. Causby (1946)
(2) Susette Kelo v. City of New London,Connecticut ( 2005 )
(3) State of New Jersey v. Shack and Tejeras ( 1971
(4) Baker v. Weedon (1972)
(5) B.B.R. Enterprises v. Perren (1979)
(6) First Federal Savings & Loan Assn. of Miami v. Fisher (1952)
(7) Gerruth Realty Co. v. Pire (1962)
(8) Sanders v. Stevens (1922)
(9) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster, Ltd. (2005)
Unit Six Tort Law
Lesson OneIntroduction to Tort Law
Lesson TwoIntentional Torts
Lesson Three Negligence
Lesson FourLiability Without Fault and Products Liability Cases for Supplementary Reading
……
Unit Seven Business Associations
Unit Eight Corporate Law
Appendix Ⅰ Key to Exercises
Appendix Ⅱ Text Translation