Adjudicate
to render a judicial decision
Administrative agency
a federal,state, or local government agency established to perform a specific function
Administrative law
the body of law created by administrative agencies (in the form of rules, regulations, orders, and decisions) in order to carry out their duties and responsibilities
Administrative law judge
one who presides over an administrative agency hearing and has the power to administer oaths, take testimony, rule on questions of evidence, and make determinations of fact
Administrative process
the procedure used by administrative agencies in administering the law
Bill of rights
the first ten amendments to the US Constitution
Binding authority
any source of law that a court must follow when deciding a case
Case law
the rules of law announced in court decisions
Citation
a reference to a publication in which a legal authority - such as a statute or court decision- or other source can be found
Civil law
the branch of law dealing with the definition and enforcement of all private and public rights, as opposed to criminal rights
Commerce clause
the provision in Article I, section 8, of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate interstate (and some intrastate) commerce
Common law
the body of law developed from custom or judicial decisions in English and US courts, not attributable to a legislature
Constitutional law
the body of law derived from the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of the various states
Criminal law
law that defines and governs actions that constitute crimes
Cyberlaw
an informal term used to refer to all laws governing electronic communications and transactions, particularly those conducted via the Internet
Defendant
one against whom a lawsuit is brought; the accused person in a criminal proceeding
Due process clause
the provisions in the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
Enabling legislation
a statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative agency and specifies the name, composition, purpose, and powers of the agency being created
Equal protection clause
the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees that no state will "deny to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Equitable principals and maxims
general propositions or principals of law that have to do with fairness (equity).
Establishment clause
the provision in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibits the government from establishing any state- sponsored religion or enacting any law that promotes religion or favors one religion over another
Federal form of government
a system of government in which the states form a union and the sovereign power is divided between the central government and the member states
Filtering software
a computer program that is designed to block access to certain web sites, based on their content
Free exercise clause
the provision in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibits the government from interfering with people's religious practices or forms of worship
International law
the law that governs relations among nations
Jurisprudence
the science or philosophy of law
Law
a body of enforceable rules governing relationships among individuals and between individuals and their society
Legislative rule
an administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a congressionally enacted statute
Meta tag
a key word in a document that can serve as an index reference to the document
National law
law that pertains to a particular nation ( as opposed to international law)
Ordinance
a regulation enacted by a city or county legislative body that becomes part of that state's statutory law
Persuasive authority
any legal authority or source of law that a court may look to for guidance but on which it need not rely in making it's decision
Plaintiff
one who initiates a lawsuit
Police powers
powers possessed by the states as a part of their inherent sovereignty
Precedent
a court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts
Preemption
a doctrine under which certain federal laws preempt, or take precedence over, conflicting state or local laws
Primary source of law
a document that establishes the law on a particular issue, such as a constitution, a statute, an administrative rule, or a court decision
Procedural law
law that establishes the methods of enforcing the rights established by substantive law
Remedy
the relief given to an innocent party to enforce a right or compensate for the violations of a right
Rule making
the process undertaken by an administrative agency when formally adopting a new regulation or amending an old one
Secondary source of law
a publication that summarizes or interprets the law, such as a legal encyclopedia, a legal treatise, or an article in a law review
Stare decisis
a common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions
Statute of limitations
a federal or state statute setting the maximum time period during which a certain action can be brought or certain rights enforced
Statutory law
the body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law, administrative law, or case law)
Substantive law
law that defines, describes, regulates, and creates legal rights and obligations
Supremacy clause
The requirement in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution that provides that the Constitution, laws, and treaties are the " supreme law of the land
Symbolic speech
nonverbal expressions of beliefs
Uniform law
a model law created by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and/ or the American Law Institute for the states to consider adopting