Introduction / Erik G. Jensen and Thomas C. Heller -- Evaluating systems of justice through public opinion: why, what, who, how, and what for? / José Juan Toharia -- Judicial systems in Western Europe: comparative indicators of legal professionals, courts, litigation, and budgets in the 1900s / Erhard Blankenburg -- Debased informalism: Lok Adalats and legal rights in modern India / Marc Galanter and Jayanth K. Krishnan -- Democratization of justice: the Indian experiment with consumer forums / Robert S. Moog -- Empirical research into the Chinese judicial system / Donald C. Clarke -- Putting China's judiciary into perspective: is it independent, competent, and fair? / Hualing Fu -- Economic and political aspects of judicial reform: the Chilean case / Carlos Peña González ; Judicial reform in Mexico: what next? / Hector Fix-Fierro -- International assistance to Latin American justice programs: toward an agenda for reforming the reformers / Linn Hammergren -- The rule of law and judicial reform: the political economy of diverse institutional patterns and reformers' responses / Erik G. Jensen -- An immodest postscript / Thomas C. Heller