Introduction to American Law Government and Legal System.
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Transcript of Introduction to American Law Government and Legal System.
![Page 1: Introduction to American Law Government and Legal System.](https://reader036.fdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062423/5697bfe41a28abf838cb5940/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Introduction to American Law
Government and Legal System
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Sources of Law
Constitutional Legislative Administrative Local or Municipal Common Law
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Federalism
Vertical• State and Federal Government• Federal Supremacy
Horizontal• Between States• Comity
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Constitutional Branches
Executive• President• Administrative Agencies
Legislative• Representative• Bicameral
Judicial
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Constitutional Provisions
Structural• Separation of powers• Branches of government
Enumerated Legislative Powers• Commerce• War• Intellectual Property
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Constitutional Provisions
Inherent Limitations• Scope of powers• Extent of powers
Express Limitations• Stated in grant of power• Bill of Rights
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Constitutional Provisions
First Amendment• Freedom of speech, assembly, press• Freedom from religious establishment• Free exercise of religion
Commerce Power• Domestic and Foreign• Dormant commerce power
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Court Systems
State• Trial court• Intermediate appellate• Final appellate
Federal• Supreme Court• Federal and state cases
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Adversarial System
Parties control litigation• Initiation• Progression• Settlement
Judge’s role• Neutral arbiter• “referee”
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Burdens of Proof
Assigned to Party Claims and Defenses Quantum of Proof
• Preponderance• Clear and Convincing• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
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Law and Equity
Historical Division British Crown and Chancery Remedial Powers
• Damages• Injunction• Other remedies
Merged in most U.S. courts
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Trial Court
Complaint Answer Discovery Interlocutory motions
• Summary judgment
Trial Post-trial motions
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Trial Court
Fact Finding• Physical evidence• Testimony• Building a record
Legal Rulings Initial Disposition
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Judge and Jury
Legal determinations• Substantive• Procedural
Factual determinations Jury instructions
• Standard• Submitted by parties
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Juries
Jury as of right• Criminal trials• Civil trials at law
Six to twelve persons• Chosen from community• Required service
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Intermediate Appeal
Three-judge panel Review of trial court record Oral argument by attorneys
• No new evidence• Extensive written briefs• Determination of trial court error
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Intermediate Appeal
Standard of Review• Legal determinations: de novo• Factual determinations: clear error• Discretionary rulings: abuse of discretion• Jury decisions: no reasonable jury
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Highest Court
State Supreme Court• State Law• Federal Questions
United States Supreme Court• Federal issues• Mandatory appeal• Certorari
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Judicial Precedent
Binding decisions• Higher and lower courts• Past and future courts
Stare decisis• Respect for earlier rulings• Stability• Overruling previous holdings
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Judicial Opinions
Guidance• Lower courts• Bar and public
Persuasion• Present colleagues• Future courts• Past courts
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Legal Reasoning
Analogical Deductive Inductive Interpretive
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Statutory Interpretation
Plain meaning Legislative history Context Social purpose Canons of construction
• Negative implication• Specific over general
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Reading Judicial Opinions
Identify issues• Legal question addressed
Identify holdings Identify reasoning
• Fact specific• Broader precedential value
Identify hidden results or implications
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Questions and Discussion