Malcolm Feeley, one of the founding giants of the law and society field, is also one of its most exciting, diverse, and contemporary scholars. His works have examined criminal courts, prison reform, the legal profession, legal professionalism, and a variety of other important topics of enduring theoretical interest with a keen eye for the practical implications. In this volume, The Legal Process and the Promise of Justice, an eminent group of contemporary law and society scholars offer fresh and original analyzes of his work. They asses the legacy of Feeley's theoretical innovations, put his findings to the test of time, and provide provocative historical and international perspectives for his insights. This collection of original essays not only draws attention to Professor Feeley's seminal writings but also to the theories and ideas of others who, inspired by Feeley, have explored how courts and the legal process really work to provide a promise of justice.

'Malcolm Feeley’s writings about America’s contradictory crime wars and criminal justice reform efforts are essential elements of modern criminology. The contributors to this volume take Feeley’s thinking in new and innovative directions that no student or scholar of our continuing predicament will want or can afford to miss. A guide to a futuristic Feeleyian criminology!'John Hagan, John D. MacArthur Professor Professor of Sociology and Law, Northwestern University, Illinois

'An extraordinary collection of insightful studies that follow the steps of Malcolm Feeley in relation to the legal process and the promise of justice. It explores the vibrant legacy of this brilliant scholar for the present and it will be a source of inspiration for the future theoretical and empirical developments in these key socio-legal themes, both inside and outside the English speaking contexts.'Máximo Sozzo, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina

'This festschrift for Malcolm Feeley, with contributions from eighteen distinguished scholars, provides powerful accounts of how lawyers and judges link policies of crime and punishment to fundamental problems of governing contemporary societies. Provocative and compelling, this collection confronts the current challenges to liberal democracies and the rule of law with trenchant, grounded analyses.'Susan S. Silbey, Leon and Anne Goldberg Professor of Humanities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

'Far from being only a much deserved tribute to Malcolm Feeley, this book opens up new perspectives. By recalling the numerous insights of his scholarship, from The Process is the Punishment to debates on court reform or sociology of legal professionals, this rich array of scholars put these studies in perspective and demonstrate how fruitful his perspective is for socio-legal studies, in several national contexts. The same could even be said beyond that specific field, from the sociology of organizations to public policy analysis.'Liora Israël, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris