This work is designed for the layperson who wants background information about legal issues and procedures that affect our everyday lives. It is not a dictionary, although it includes a glossary, and it is not a do-it-yourself legal guide. Approximately 200 articles provide historical information, brief descriptions of relevant federal laws and regulations, variations in state and some local laws, directions to print and electronic sources of additional information, and contact details for potentially useful national and state organizations and agencies.