CHAPTER 1
Law: A body of enforceable rules governing relationships among individuals and between individuals
and their society
Liability: The state of being legally responsible (liable) for something such as a debt or obligation
Primary source of law: A document that establishes the law on a particular issue, such as a
constitution, a statute, an administrative rule, or a court decision
Secondary source of law: A publication that summarizes or interprets the law, such as a legal
encyclopedia, a legal treatise, or an article in a law review
Constitutional law: The body of law derived from the U.S. constitution and the constitutions of the
various states
Statutory Law: The body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law,
administrative law, or case law)
Citation: A reference to a publication in which a legal authority- such as a statute or a court decision-
or other source can be found
Ordinance: A regulation enacted by a city or county legislative body that becomes part of that state’s
statutory law
Uniform law: A model law developed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State
Laws for the states to consider enacting into statute
Administrative law: The body of law created by administrative agencies in order to carry out their
duties and responsibilities
Enabling Legislation: A statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative
agency and specifies the name, composition, purpose, and powers of the agency being created
Adjudicate: To render a judicial decision. Adjudication is the trial-like proceeding in which an
administrative law judge hears and resolves disputes involving an administrative agency’s regulations
Administrative process: The procedure used by administrative agencies in administering the law
Rulemaking: The process by which an administrative agency formally adopts new regulation or
amends an old one
Legislative rule: An administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a congressionally
enacted statute
Interpretive rule: A nonbinding rule or policy statement issued by an administrative agency that
explains how it interprets and intends to apply the statute it enforces
Administrative law judge (ALJ): One who presides over an administrative agency hearing and has the
power to administer oaths, take testimony, rule on questions of evidence, and make determinations of
facts
, Case law: The rules of law announced in court decisions. Case law interprets statutes, regulations,
constitutional provisions, and other case law
Common law: The body of law developed from custom or judicial decisions in English and U.S. courts,
not attributable to a legislature
Precedent: A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases
involving identical or similar facts
Stare decisis: A common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents
establishes in prior decisions
Binding Decisis: Any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case
Persuasive Authority: Any legal authority or source of law that a court may look to for guidance but
need not follow when making its decision
Remedy: The relief given to an innocent party to enforce a right or compensate for the violation of a
right
Plaintiff: One who initiates a lawsuit
Defendant: One against whom a lawsuit is brought or the accused person in a criminal proceeding
Equitable Principles and Maxims: General propositions or principles of law that have to do with
fairness (equity)
Jurisprudence: The science or philosophy of law
Natural law: 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
Legal positivism: A school of legal thoughts centered on the assumption that there is no law higher
than the laws created by a national government. Laws must be obeyed, even if they are unjust, to
prevent anarchy
Historical school: A school of legal though that looks to the past to determine what the principles of
contemporary law should be
Legal realism: A school of legal thought that holds that the law is only one actor to be considered
when deciding cases and that social and economic circumstances should also be taken into account
Substantive law: Law that defines, describes, regulates, and creates legal rights and obligations
Procedural law: Law that establishes the methods of enforcing the rights established by substantive
law
Cyber law: An informal term used to refer to all laws governing electronic communications and
transactions, particularly those conducted via the internet
Civil law: The branch of law dealing with the definition and enforcement of all private or public rights,
as opposed to criminal matters
Law: A body of enforceable rules governing relationships among individuals and between individuals
and their society
Liability: The state of being legally responsible (liable) for something such as a debt or obligation
Primary source of law: A document that establishes the law on a particular issue, such as a
constitution, a statute, an administrative rule, or a court decision
Secondary source of law: A publication that summarizes or interprets the law, such as a legal
encyclopedia, a legal treatise, or an article in a law review
Constitutional law: The body of law derived from the U.S. constitution and the constitutions of the
various states
Statutory Law: The body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law,
administrative law, or case law)
Citation: A reference to a publication in which a legal authority- such as a statute or a court decision-
or other source can be found
Ordinance: A regulation enacted by a city or county legislative body that becomes part of that state’s
statutory law
Uniform law: A model law developed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State
Laws for the states to consider enacting into statute
Administrative law: The body of law created by administrative agencies in order to carry out their
duties and responsibilities
Enabling Legislation: A statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative
agency and specifies the name, composition, purpose, and powers of the agency being created
Adjudicate: To render a judicial decision. Adjudication is the trial-like proceeding in which an
administrative law judge hears and resolves disputes involving an administrative agency’s regulations
Administrative process: The procedure used by administrative agencies in administering the law
Rulemaking: The process by which an administrative agency formally adopts new regulation or
amends an old one
Legislative rule: An administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a congressionally
enacted statute
Interpretive rule: A nonbinding rule or policy statement issued by an administrative agency that
explains how it interprets and intends to apply the statute it enforces
Administrative law judge (ALJ): One who presides over an administrative agency hearing and has the
power to administer oaths, take testimony, rule on questions of evidence, and make determinations of
facts
, Case law: The rules of law announced in court decisions. Case law interprets statutes, regulations,
constitutional provisions, and other case law
Common law: The body of law developed from custom or judicial decisions in English and U.S. courts,
not attributable to a legislature
Precedent: A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases
involving identical or similar facts
Stare decisis: A common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents
establishes in prior decisions
Binding Decisis: Any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case
Persuasive Authority: Any legal authority or source of law that a court may look to for guidance but
need not follow when making its decision
Remedy: The relief given to an innocent party to enforce a right or compensate for the violation of a
right
Plaintiff: One who initiates a lawsuit
Defendant: One against whom a lawsuit is brought or the accused person in a criminal proceeding
Equitable Principles and Maxims: General propositions or principles of law that have to do with
fairness (equity)
Jurisprudence: The science or philosophy of law
Natural law: 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
Legal positivism: A school of legal thoughts centered on the assumption that there is no law higher
than the laws created by a national government. Laws must be obeyed, even if they are unjust, to
prevent anarchy
Historical school: A school of legal though that looks to the past to determine what the principles of
contemporary law should be
Legal realism: A school of legal thought that holds that the law is only one actor to be considered
when deciding cases and that social and economic circumstances should also be taken into account
Substantive law: Law that defines, describes, regulates, and creates legal rights and obligations
Procedural law: Law that establishes the methods of enforcing the rights established by substantive
law
Cyber law: An informal term used to refer to all laws governing electronic communications and
transactions, particularly those conducted via the internet
Civil law: The branch of law dealing with the definition and enforcement of all private or public rights,
as opposed to criminal matters
