Legal Principles and Procedures

These flashcards cover key legal concepts, definitions, and principles introduced in lecture notes about legal processes and court systems.

Priority of Laws

The hierarchy of legal sources applied by courts, including constitutional law, statutes, regulations, case law, and common law.

Federalism

The division of power between a central federal government and state governments.

Supremacy Clause

The clause in the US Constitution that establishes federal laws as supreme over state laws.

Civil Liability

The legal responsibility to compensate for harm caused to another party.

Tort Liability

Legal responsibility for civil wrongs where another party suffers harm due to acts or omissions.

Statutes

Written laws enacted by legislative bodies such as Congress or state legislatures.

Regulations

Rules created by administrative agencies to enforce statutes.

Precedent

Legal rules established in prior cases that guide decisions in current cases.

Stare Decisis

The doctrine that mandates courts to follow precedents established by previous decisions.

Plain Meaning Rule

The principle that courts should interpret statutes according to the ordinary meaning of the words.

Diversity Jurisdiction

The ability of federal courts to hear cases involving parties from different states.

Statute

A written law enacted by a legislative body.

Venue

The geographic location where a trial is held.

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case and make legal decisions.

Personal Jurisdiction

The court's power to make decisions affecting specific individuals or entities involved in a case.

Summary Judgment

A judicial decision made without a full trial, where one party shows that there are no disputed material facts.