This work compares and contrasts legal institutions and processes in different societies and cultures. It examines a range of issues, including litigation rates, crime rates, juvenile justice and attitudes towards legal institutions.

The concept of legal culture, Roger Cotterrell; the concept of legal culture - a reply, Lawrence Friedman; civil litigation as indicators for legal cultures, Erhard Blankenburg; puzzling out legal culture - a comment on Blankenburg, David Nelken; comparative criminal law for criminologists - comparing for what purpose?, Malcolm Feeley; for a sociological use of the concept of legal culture, Carlo Pennisi; comparing legal cultures and the quest for law's identity, Michael King.