As debates over family values preoccupy politicians and the public, judges and legislators grapple with even more basic questions. What is a family? Who should count as a family member, and with what consequences for obligations and benefits? Interracial adoption, new reproductive technologies, and gay and lesbian relationships provide simply a few of the settings in which these questions acquire contemporary urgency. The materials assembled here provide a basis for studying these themes and many others in U.S. family law and family lives. Whether used to enhance personal insight or professional competence, Family Matters should provide food for thought and nourishment for the collective lives of families and communities.