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Law A rule of conduct or action involving an obligation, duty, or right that is binding; without it, society falls into anarchy and disorder.

Four sources of American law Constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, and case law / common law doctrines.

Constitutional law Law based on the U.S. and state constitutions. State constitutions came first and are more specific; the federal constitution is broader.

Statutory law Law enacted by a legislature, including federal and state statutes and local ordinances.

Ordinance (municipal law) A law passed by a city or county government, such as a local rule on traffic cameras.

Uniform law A model law drafted to be adopted across many states so rules are consistent from state to state.

Administrative law The rules, orders, and decisions of administrative agencies.

Administrative agency A federal, state, or local government body created to perform a specific function, such as the FDA.

Enabling legislation The statute Congress enacts to create an administrative agency and define its name, purpose, and powers.

Legislative rule An administrative agency rule that carries the same binding weight as a congressionally enacted statute.

Interpretive rule A non-binding rule or policy statement in which an agency explains how it interprets and intends to apply the statutes it enforces.

Administrative law judge (ALJ) One who presides over an agency hearing and can administer oaths, take testimony, rule on evidence, and make determinations of fact.

Case law The rules of law announced in court decisions; it interprets statutes, regulations, and constitutional provisions and governs areas not covered by statutory or administrative law.

Common law The body of law developed from custom and judicial decisions in English and U.S. courts, not attributable to a legislature; it traces back to English courts around 1066.

Precedent A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding later cases with identical or similar facts.

Stare decisis The common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions.

Binding authority Any source of law that a court MUST follow when deciding a case.

Persuasive authority Any source of law a court MAY look to for guidance but is not required to follow.

Case on point A previous case involving factual circumstances and issues similar to those in the case before the court.

Legal reasoning The process by which a judge harmonizes his or her opinion with the judicial decisions in previous cases.

IRAC method Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion: the four-step framework for analyzing a legal problem.

Remedy at law Relief in the form of money damages.

Remedy in equity Relief granted when money damages are inadequate, such as restitution, an injunction, or specific performance.

Restitution An equitable remedy restoring a party to their prior position, essentially "give the thing back."

Injunction A court order directing a party to act or to refrain from acting.

Specific performance An equitable remedy ordering a party to carry out the terms of an agreement.

Equitable maxims General propositions or principles of law having to do with fairness (equity).

Jurisprudence The science or philosophy of law; a judge's philosophical approach shapes how the law is applied to facts.

Natural law The school of thought holding that every human has inherent natural rights that exist above man-made law.

Legal positivism The school of thought holding there is no law higher than the law created by a national government; unjust laws must be obeyed until changed, to prevent anarchy.

Historical school The school of thought that looks to the past to determine what the principles of contemporary law should be.

Legal realism The school of thought holding that law is only one factor in deciding cases; social and economic circumstances and human bias must also be considered.

Civil law The body of law defining and enforcing rights and duties between two parties.

Criminal law The body of law concerning wrongs committed against society as a whole, prosecuted by the government.

Plaintiff The one who initiates a lawsuit.

Defendant The one against whom a lawsuit is brought, or the accused person in a criminal proceeding.

Allege To state, recite, assert, or charge something that has not yet been proven.

Eminent domain The government's power to take private property for public use with just compensation.