Review Flashcards
Executive Branch
Federal level = president
State level = governor
Power to make laws or approve (sign) or disapprove (veto) proposed laws, bills
Legislative Branch
Lawmaking body
Congress
Laws are written and passed or denied
Judicial Branch
Court system
Laws are interpreted
Legal disputes are decided
Common Law
Body of principles and rules of action arising from usages and customs or from judgements of courts that recognize affirm and enforce custom.
Unwritten law in that it has never been enacted into statutory law
Stare decisis
Once a court has decided a dispute, the decision was used as a reference or precedent.
Following established precedent
Provides stability and continuity by eliminating inconsistencies from the law
Statues
Each law that is enacted by the legislative branch
How do courts decide cases?
Applying relevant laws to individual facts of each case.
Administrative agencies
Organizations created by law to carry out specific legislative activities
Judicial Review
Reviewing certain actions taken by federal and state administrative agencies
Protects personal interest that may be affected by an agency
Litigation
The practice of taking a legal action
Jurisdiction
Authority or power of a court to hear a certain case
Court of Original Jurisdiction
Court of first instance
Appellate Court
If cases are not satisfactorily settled they may be appealed to this court
Has no original jurisdiction
Exists only to review judgements made by courts with lesser authority
Doctrine
Principle of law established through past decisions and interpretations made by the courts
Jurisprudence
Process of distinguishing between what is legislation and what is doctrine
Lex fori
Law of the forum
Has to do with specific procedures that the parties to a case are required by the courts to follow
Lex loci
Law of the place
Used to determine the rights of the parties to an action
Federal Courts Jurisdiction
Federal laws
Raise federal questions
Constitution
When United States is a very plaintiff or defendant
Maritime jurisdiction and admiralty
Between residents of two different states who claim land under grants from different states
Between residents of different states when the dollar amount in damages is greater than $75,000
What federal court is established by the US Constitution?
US Supreme Court
District Courts
Courts that have original jurisdiction receive most of the cases in federal system
District Courts are considered trial courts at the federal system
Original jurisdiction in certain kinds of cases such as admiralty and maritime law and exclusive jurisdiction over some matters such as patent cases
Circuit Court
A decision made by a district court may be appealed to the appropriate circuit court.
These courts serve to relieve the Supreme Court of much of its appellate work
Appeals
An appeal may only be taken to determine questions of law not questions of fact.
Appeal may
Uphold lower court decision
Reverse/overturn lower court decision
Send case back to lower court for a new trial
State courts have exclusive jurisdiction over
All matters that are not under the jurisdiction of the federal courts
Courts of limited jurisdiction
Court only authorized to hear specific and limited types of cases
County courts
Municipal courts
Specialized courts such as probate