This book is intended as an introduction to the field of employment discrimination law, both at the abstract level of theory and at the concrete level of doctrine. It is as much an introduction for experienced lawyers and scholars who come to this field with a thorough knowledge of other aspects of the law as for law students who have just begun preparing for their careers. The new edition offers an up-to-date introduction to employment discrimination law: the major statutes, the current cases, the outstanding issues, and the competing policies in this field. The leading decisions of the Supreme Court receive a comprehensive analysis, in terms both of theory and doctrine, putting them in the context of the relevant statutory provisions and other judicial decisions. This book offers three different theoretical perspectives-based on history, economics, and critical social theory-to explain both the complexities and the tensions inherent in existing law.