Law 1 Flashcards
In the common law, a collection of statues enacted by legislative bodies including Congress and state legislatures
Code
Codified law based on Roman code of Justinian, basis legal system in Europe and Latin America and many African and Asian nations
Civil Law
Developed and pronounced by courts in deciding cases (“case law”), based on English common law and judicial precedent
Common Law
The predominant feature of civil law is its attempt to establish a body of legal rules in
One systemized code
The predominant feature of common law is based on an accumulation of
Previous cases and judicial decisions
Requirement that the courts follow their own precedents
Stare Decisis
What does Stare Decisis mean
Stand by the decision
Stare Decisis binds lower courts to the decision of
Higher courts of the same jurisdiction
The Stare Decisis is
Not absolute
Stare Decisis can be amended by
Court changing mind or legislative mandate
Congress and state legislatures may enact laws (statutes) that modify
Common Law
Egland, British Commonwealth and Us follow what type of law
Common Law
What type of law began as an independent legal system based on fail play?
Equity
What type of law covers injunctive relief, specific performance of contracts, parts of family law
Equity
Many principles and maxims of equity have been merged into
Common law
In an equity case, there is no
Trial by jury
What type of law defines legal rights and oblication in regard to a specific subject
Substantive Law
What type of law is concerned with the enforcement of substantive law in a court
Procedural Law
What type of court has been simplified to allow self-representation
Small claims court
What permits clients to keep confidential matters discussed with their attorneys
Attorney/Client privilege
What an employee tells a corporate lawyer is
Not privileged
The Attorney/Client privilege does not extend to information made
In the presence of others or waved by cleint
The Attorney/Client privilege does not extend to i
Clients expression of criminal intent
What doctrine protects attorney’s and firms notes even with loss of attorney/client privilege
Work-product doctrine
An ethical responsbility of an attorney is to only take cases
That can be handled competently
An ethical responsbility of an attorney is zealously
Advocate clients cause
An ethical responsbility of an attorney is to keep the
Client resonably informed
An ethical responsbility of an attorney is to abide
By restrictions of attorney/client privilege
An ethical responsbility of an attorney when withdrawing is to
Take measures to protect client’s interest
Attorney’s fees are usually paid for
By each party
Contingency fee arrangements should be
Put into writing and explained in depth
A lawyer may act in many roles including:
Investigator, drafter, negotiator, advisor, and advocate
What code governs lawyer’s duties to client and legal system
State code of attorney conduct
What does the UCC stand for
Uniform Commercial Code
Substansive commercial law including sales, commercial paper, and secured transaction are covered in the
Uniform Commercial Code
What does the NCCUSL stand for
National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws
What does the NCCUSL do?
Proposes new uniform laws and changes to existing laws for states to adopt
Who staffs the NCCUSL?
Professors, attorneys, judges, and legislators
Who appoints the staff of the NCCUSL?
The states
What does ALI stand for?
American Law Institute
What is the American Law Institute responsible for?
Restatements of law
Statutory law is found in
State or federal code
Case law is a collection of opinions of
Appellate courts
Opinions of trial courts are usually
Not published (expect federal trial courts)
Restatements of Law do not
Bind courts
Restatements of Law serve as general guidelines which gives
Greater weight
Restatements of Law also
Dlineate trends in common law
Nation or state surpreme set of laws
Consitution
Constitution outlines basic
Organization, powers and repsonsibilities of government
Constitution guarantees certain
Specified rights to the people
What is a statute?
A law passed by the US congress or state legislature
What is an ordinance?
A law passed b a governmental body below the state level dealing with a local concern
What is a rule?
A regulation issued by a federal, state or local administrative agency (or court) and government prodecdure or conduct in a specific field
What are eight important sources of loaw in the US?
US constitution, federal statutes, 50 state constitutions, state statutes, local ordinances, rules and rulings of federal, state, and local agencies, decisions by courts, private laws and customs
What is the Surpremacy Clause?
Grants that laws made in the “pursuit” of the constitution are the “surpreme law of the land”
What article of the Constitution is the surpremacy clause?
Article VI
What does preemption mean?
If the government has the right to regulate in a specific area, then its laws in that area “preempt” states laws
What are the three branches of government?
Legislative, executive, judiciary
The legislative branch of government does what?
Makes the laws
The excutive branch of government does what?
Enforces the laws
The judicary branch of the government does what?
Passes on the consitutionality of the laws
What does “judicial restraint” mean?
Courts may avoid deciding issues in a case
Article I Section 8 of US Constitution?
Necessary and Proper Clause
What does the Necessary and Proper Clause do?
Expressly aurthorizes a number of Congressional legislative power
What are some of the powers of the Necessary and Proper Clause?
Tax, coin money establish roads, regualte foreign and interstate commerce, national defense.
What are implied powers?
Laws passed that are necessary and proper for carrying out governments enumerated powers under the constitution
What doctrine states that Congress has the power to pass statutes governing even local commerce in that the subject covered can “affect interstate commerce?
Affectation doctrine
Congress has the power to tax as long as it is
Revenue producing and not punitive
Congress has the power to spend for the
“General welfare”
Notice of hearing, unbaised fact-finder, presentation of evidence, cross examination, and appeals are what?
Procedural Protections
State and federal government has right to regulate economic activity as long as it does not
Violate any other provision of the constitution
Legislative pwoers must be expressly or implicitly delegated to Congress by the
US Constitution
What article and section of the US Constitution grants expansive power to the federal government?
Article 1, Section 8
What three powers are granted to the federal government in Article I, Section 8?
Regulate interstate commerce, tax, and provide (spend) for the “general welfare”
What amendment authorized congress to pass any laws to enforce due process and equal protection provisions of the amendement
The Fourteenth Amendment
State goverments have their own sphere of power and do not look to the federal government as the source of their authority
Federalism
Laws that are the exclusive domain of the states
State Statutes
What is an act that injures someone in some way, and for which the injured person may sue the wrongdoer for damages
Tort
Legally, torts are called what?
Civil wrongs
The power to what is an important example of shared power although certain areas are barred from state regulation
Regulate commerce