Law is a legal system of laws designed and implemented by governmental or civic bodies to regulate behaviour, with its exact definition a matter of long-standing debate. It’s been differentially defined as the art and science of law. It may be defined as the body of law that includes: penal law, proverbs, constitution, ethical principles, equity, trial by public office, property law, patent law, contract law, family law, and human rights law. Law is also used to describe the practice of learning and teaching law as an academic field. A law student may use the terms laws, law, legal studies, case study, literature, theories, and judicial philosophy to refer to this body of knowledge.

A country’s legal system can be divided into three main types: civil law, criminal law, and common law. Civil law governs conduct within the polity’s legal system, while criminal law governs conduct outside the polity. Civil law courts tend to decide disputes involving torts (acts of property damage), natural disasters, and private right. Civil law also addresses some actions between private parties, such as controversies concerning trusts, mortgages, and domain names. Common law courts deal with disputes between individuals and organizations, such as wills, commercial disputes, and private lawsuits against government agencies (such as healthcare providers). While it is the body of law that most effectively regulates most activity within the legal system, the US government leaves the regulation of its activities to the states.

The United States system of government distributes power and duties among the states through statutory law. Statutory laws are either laws passed by state legislators using preexisting statutes, or laws that become law automatically through the procedure called “ratification.” All United States requires voter approval for any federal legislative action. States also have separate constitutional systems of law.

Constitutional Law The most important thing to know about constitutional law is that it is the branch of law that deals primarily with questions of the constitution of the United States rather than with things like substantive law or trial law. Constitutional law seeks to protect the American people from arbitrary actions by the state, and it seeks to ensure that all parts of the country get equal rights. Unlike civil law, constitutional law does not give rise to damages, a right to sue, or an attorney. There are no juries, and juries are generally selected by a state’s judges rather than by a common law judge.

Criminal Law Unlike civil society in the US, the criminal law system does not operate under a bench warrant. Instead, criminal laws are enacted by state legislatures using their own system of law enforcement. Each state establishes its own laws of murder, arson, rape, homicide, and several other crimes. State governments have been notorious for passing highly problematic criminal laws that have been on the statute books for decades, making criminal prosecution nearly impossible for the accused.

Property Law A major part of the legal system is the property realm, which is nothing more than the legal system that governs the acquisition, disposition, ownership, and inheritance of private property in the US. This includes but is not limited to, such things as deeds of trust, bank accounts, mortgages, and so on. A first-year law school student will be expected to understand the different aspects of property law, as well as comprehend how to apply various theories of property law to different types of cases.

Business Law is largely the domain of the Supreme Court, which does interpret and determines many of the decisions of the lower courts within the business realm. Unlike constitutional law, however, there are few checks on the power of the courts, and business law is the one area in which a layperson may well bring an action against a corporation or company. Business laws can cover everything from contracting with clients, workers, suppliers, and so on. While a layperson cannot generally do much damage to a corporation, litigation before the courts can make the corporations do whatever they want, including changing contracts, firing employees, and so on. A first year law student will need to be familiar with some of these areas if they hope to have a successful career in business law.

Criminal Law Similar to property law, criminal law is the realm of the Supreme Court, and like business law, it deals largely with things like felonies and misdemeanors. People go to jail in this country for all sorts of things, from murder to minor crimes like vandalism. The penalties for criminal acts can be very extreme, and in the case of some violent criminals, life sentences and even death sentences are commonplace. The criminal justice system in the United States is a very complicated and intricate one, and those looking to work in the field should master a wide variety of topics. As with all other fields, there are specific laws for certain crimes, and those who break the rules can expect to go to jail.