"Our courts, the third branch of the government, are central in the administration of our democracy. But their operations are shrouded in a mythology--which this book pierces. Many of our 30,000 judges are hard-working and distinguished jurists; most are simply lawyers who knew a politician. It does not help that the job pays poorly. We have no judicial profession: we do not train judges before or after they mount the bench. There is no national court system. Fifty states, a federal government, counties and municipalities all have their own courts, their own rules and their own laws and are deluged with cases filed by a million lawyers. Less than 3% of criminal charges and 4% of civil disputes are resolved in court. This noted author argues that a specialized world demands specialized courts and judges expert in the subjects they must consider.--From publisher description."--From source other than the Library of Congress