[The] broad coverage is truly impressive and refreshing in itself. When are all these countries, traditions, cultures ever brought together not just in one volume, but in a comparative project? There are more reasons, why this book is remarkable. It reminds the reader of the political relevance of sociology of law and the sociology of profession by covering issues such as Guantanamo and the role of the courts, the war against terrorism and the abolition of rights, authoritarian regimes and the force of law, the legal market and the professions' societal responsibility. Thomas Scheffer and Hyo-Eun Shin The Law & Politics Book Review Vol. 18 No.9 (September 2008) The hallmark of this remarkable volume is the conceptualization of the legal complex and its relationship to political lawyering. Laura J. Hatcher Law and Society Review Vol 43, No 1