what is the law? - Answers the law consists of enforceable rules governing relationships among
individuals and between individuals and their society
-they establish rights, duties, and privileges that are consistent with the values and beliefs of a society
or its ruling group
how are business decisions effected by law? - Answers contracts
courts and court procedures
professional liability
business organizations
agency
torts
product liability
e-commerce
intellectual property
creditors' rights
negotiable instruments
sales
what are the 4 primary sources of American Law? - Answers -US constitution and the constitutions of
states
-statutes or laws passed by Congress and by state legislatures
-regulations
-case law (court decisions)
what is jurisprudence? - Answers learning about different schools of legal thought and discovering
how each school's approach to law can affect judicial decision making
what is liability? - Answers the state of being legal responsible (liable) for something, such as a debt
or obligation
what is a breach? - Answers the failure to perform a legal obligation
what is a primary source of law? - Answers a document that establishes the law on a particular issue
what is a secondary source of law? - Answers a publication that summarizes or interprets the saw,
such as a legal encyclopedia
what is constitutional law? - Answers the body of law derived from the US constitution and the
constitutions of the various states
what is statutory law? - Answers the body of law enacted by legislative bodies as opposed to
constitutional law, administrative law, or case law
what is an ordinance? - Answers a regulation enacted by a city or count legislative body that becomes
part of that state's statutory law
what is Uniform law? - Answers a model law developed by the National Conference of Commissions
on Uniform State Laws for the states to consider enacting into statute
what is case law? - Answers the rules of law announced in court decisions (interprets statutes,
regulations, constitutional provisions, and other case law)
what is common law? - Answers the body of law developed from custom or judicial decisions in
English and US courts. not attributable to a legislature
what is precedent? - Answers a court decisions that furnishes an example or authority for deciding
subsequent cases involving identical or similar legal principles
what is Stare Decisis? - Answers a common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow
the precedents established in prior decisions
what is binding authority? - Answers any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case
what is administrative law? - Answers consists of the rules, orders, and decisions of administrative
agencies. An administrative agency is a federal, state, or local government agency established to
perform a specific function
what is civil law? - Answers the branch of law dealing with definitions and enforcement of all private
or public rights, as opposed to criminal matters
what is persuasive authority? - Answers any legal authority or source of law that a court may look to
for guidance but need not follow when making its decision
what is a remedy? - Answers the relief given to an innocent party to enforce a right or compensate
for the violation of a right
, what is a juridical person? - Answers an entity to which the law attributes personality, such as a
corporation or a partnership.
who is a plaintiff? - Answers one who invites a lawsuit
who is a defendant? - Answers one against whom a lawsuit is brought, or the accused person in a
criminal proceeding
what is natural law? - Answers the oldest school of legal thought, based on the belief that the legal
system should reflect universal (higher) moral and ethical principles that are inherent in human
nature
what is legal positivism? - Answers a school or legal thought centered on the assumption that there is
no law higher than the laws created by national government. laws must be obeyed even if they are
unjust
what is historical school? - Answers a school of legal thought that looks to the past to determine what
the principles of contemporary law should be
what is legal realism? - Answers a school of legal thought that believes that the law is only one factor
to be considered when deciding cases that social and economic circumstances should also be taken
into account
what is substantive law? - Answers law the defines, describes, regulates, and creates legal rights and
obligations
what is procedural law? - Answers law that establishes the methods of enforcing the rights
established by substantive law
what is cyberlaw? - Answers an informal term used to refer to all laws governing transaction
conducted via the internet
what is civil law system? - Answers a system of law derived from Roman Law that is based on codified
laws (rather than on case precedents)
what is criminal law? - Answers the branch of law that defines and punishes wrongful actions
committed against the public
what is national law? - Answers law that pertains to a particular nations (as opposed to international
law)
what's difference between civil law and common law? - Answers civil law is based on legislative
decisions and statutes from a civil code
common law is based on past precedents where case law is primary
what's the difference between civil law and criminal law? - Answers Criminal laws regulate crimes, or
wrongs committed against the government
Civil laws regulate disputes between private parties
what's the difference between federal law and state law? - Answers -federal law is created at the
national level, and applies to the entire nation.The U.S. Constitution forms the basis for federal law; it
establishes government power and responsibility, as well as preservation of the basic rights of every
citizen.
-State law is the law of each separate U.S. state and is applicable in that specific state.
-When a state law is in direct conflict with federal law, the federal law prevails.
what is the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)? - Answers facilitates commerce among the states by
providing a uniform set of rules governing commercial transactions
what is judicial review? - Answers the process by which a court decides on the constitutionality of
legislative enactments and actions of the executive branch
what is jurisdiction? - Answers the authority of a court to hear and decide a specific case
what is the Long Arm Statute? - Answers a state statute that permits a state to exercise jurisdiction
over nonresident defendants
what is probate court? - Answers a state court of limited jurisdiction that conducts proceedings
relating to the settlement of a deceased person's estate
what is bankruptcy court? - Answers a federal court of limited jurisdiction that handles only
bankruptcy proceedings
what is diversity of citizenship? - Answers a basis for federal court jurisdiction over a lawsuit between
citizens of different states and countries
what is concurrent jurisdiction? - Answers jurisdiction that exists when two different courts have the
power to hear a case
what is exclusive jurisdiction? - Answers jurisdiction that exists when a case can be heard only in a
particular court or type of court