James M. Donovan teaches legal anthropology at the University of Georgia. He is co-author of Anthropology and Law.

James M. Donovan's Legal Anthropology: An Introduction is a very useful, needy, and successful account that presents the various aspects of law, with a clear and balanced exposition of the major theories of legal scholars. -- Leopold Pospisil, professor and curator emeritus, Yale Peabody Museum Donovan's introduction is a book worth reading...His book succeeds in its function as a textbook...This book makes a well-written introduction to an important field of anthropology. Anthropos In a field where there are many good and some great monographs, critical overviews are few and far between, and James M. Donovan's comprehensive treatment of legal anthropology comes as a breath of fresh air. Legal Anthropology guides newcomers to the rich literature of law and anthropology, and provides more mature scholars with perspectives to debate. -- Mack O'Barr, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University and author of Just Words, Second Edition: Law, Language, and Power

• Part 1 Introduction: Why Study Legal Anthropology Part 2 Section I: General Background Chapter 3 Chapter 1: Philosophical Starting Points Chapter 4 Chapter 2: Studying Law in the Field Part 5 Section II: Forerunners Chapter 6 Chapter 3: Natural Law: Description and Reactions Chapter 7 Chapter 4: Sociology of Law Part 8 Section III: Ethnographic Foundations Chapter 9 Chapter 5: Malinowski and Reciprocity-Based Law Chapter 10 Chapter 6: Schapera and Codification of Indigenous Law Chapter 11 Chapter 7: Hoebel and the Rise and Legal Realism Chapter 12 Chapter 8: Gluckman and Identification of Legal Universals Chapter 13 Chapter 9: Bohanna and Relativism Chapter 14 Chapter 10: Pospisil and Differentiating the Institutions of Social Regulation Chapter 15 Chapter 11: Nader and Processualism Chapter 16 Chapter 12: O'Barr & Conley and Studying Up Part 17 Section IV: Highlights of Comparative Anthropology Chapter 18 Chapter 13: Cross-Cultural Comparison Chapter 19 Chapter 14: Dispute Resolution Chapter 20 Chapter 15: Legal Pluralism Part 21 Section V: Issues in Applied Legal Anthropology Chapter 22 Chapter 16: Human Rights Chapter 23 Chapter 17: Intellectual Property Rights Chapter 24 Chapter 18: The Cultural Defense Chapter 25 Chapter 19: Terrorism Chapter 26 Chapter 20: A Fairness-Centered Legal Anthropology Chapter 27 Chapter 21: Overview and Prospects