Chapter 1: Introduction to Law - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering core terms, classifications, legal origins, case analysis steps, and legal concepts from Chapter 1.

Normans of 1066

The group of Norse-origin conquerors who invaded England and established Norman rule.

Disputes handled locally

The practice of resolving disagreements at the community or regional level before formal legal systems were established.

Law and Customs of England

The traditional legal practices and societal rules used in England prior to modern legal systems.

Doctrine of Precedent

A legal principle stating that decisions made in higher courts set a standard for future cases with similar facts.

The Common Law

The legal system implemented across the English empire by William Conqueror after the Norman Conquest that is still used in the American legal system today.

U.S. Constitution

The foundational legal document serving as the supreme law of the land, establishing the framework of the federal government and fundamental rights for citizens.

Court Orders

Legal orders issued by a judge on a particular case that create binding obligations on a person or business, such as an injunction.

Administrative Law

The body of law consisting of regulations created by administrative agencies (most created by Congress), such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Treaties

Agreements between two or more sovereign countries negotiated by the President and approved by a $\frac{2}{3}$ vote in the Senate.

Civil Law

The classification of law that regulates the rights and obligations between two parties.

Criminal Law

The classification of law that regulates wrongs an individual commits against society.

Legal Positivism

A jurisprudence philosophy holding that whatever the sovereign says is the law and must be followed, whether morally right or wrong.

Natural Law

A jurisprudence philosophy holding that an unjust law is no law and need not be obeyed, requiring laws to have a moral basis.

Legal Realism

A jurisprudence philosophy asserting that regardless of written law, the critical factor is who enforces it.

Analyzing a Case

A four-step case analysis process: 1) Identify the parties (plaintiff and defendant), 2) Use the legal citation to find the case, 3) Review the facts to understand the background, and 4) Read the holding to determine the court's rationale.

Ohio Revised Code 2911.01

A primary source of law that serves as an example of a State Statute.

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024)

A Supreme Court case that overruled Chevron U.S.A. v. NRDC (1984) in a $6-3$ decision, holding that courts make independent judgments on statutory meaning rather than deferring to agency interpretations.

Chevron U.S.A. v. NRDC (1984)

A legal precedent requiring courts for 40 years to defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, until it was overruled by Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024).

Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL)

State rules barring non-lawyers from practicing law, which the Florida Bar ruled applies to legal advice generated by AI.

Judge Brantley Starr Certification Requirement

A court order in N.D. Tex. requiring attorneys to certify that AI-generated content in legal filings has been reviewed for accuracy.

CSI Effect

A phenomenon where jurors expect forensic certainty that real-world legal evidence rarely provides, driven by television portrayals of crime and law.

Del Lago Partners, Inc. v. Smith

A 2010 Supreme Court of Texas case (307 S.W. 3D 762) examining whether a hotel business could be held legally responsible for injuries sustained on its property.

Kuehn v. Pub Zone

A legal case study addressing whether a business (Pub Zone) owed a legal duty to protect a patron (Kuehn) from an attack by the Pagans.