Notes Class 1

Important

 Points

 from

 Class

 1

  Primary

 sources

 of

 the

 law:

  1. United

 States

 Constitution

 and

 the

 Bill

 of

 Rights

  a. 10th

 Amendment

 allows

 states

 to

 regulate

 what

 is

 not

 reserved

 to

 the

  federal

 government

  b. State

 Constitutions

 reflect

 principles

 similar

 to

 U.S.

 Constitution

  2. Federal

 statutes

 enacted

 by

 the

 U.S.

 Congress,

 agency

 regulations

  a. State

 counterparts:

 state

 codes,

 agency

 regulations

  b. Local

 government

 (countries,

 cities,

 towns)

 ordinances

  3. Treaties

 between

 sovereign

 governments

  4. Common

 law

 –

 judicial

 decisions

 that

 interpret

 and

 apply

 1

 –

 3

 above.

  a. Stare

 decisis:

 judicial

 doctrine;

 judges

 follow

 legal

 precedents

  b. Predictability,

 efficiency

  c. When

 there

 is

 no

 common

 law

 i.e.,

 cases

 of

 first

 impression:

 new

  applications

 of

 the

 law

 or

 new

 law

 applied

 to

 controversies

  i. Look

 to

 the

 morals,

 values,

 customs

 of

 society

  ii. Apply

 analogies

 in

 the

 common

 law

  iii. Caveat:

 first

 movers

 carry

 the

 greatest

 burden

 and

 cost

  Civil

 v.

 Criminal

 Law

  Civil

 Law:

 addresses

 rights

 and

 remedies

 between

 persons,

 which

 includes

  individuals,

 companies,

 governments.

 Common

 causes

 of

 action

 are

 for

 injuries

 due

  to

 (1)

 breach

 of

 contract

 or

 (2)

 torts

 based

 on

 (a)

 intentional

 conduct,

 (b)

 negligence

  or

 (c)

 strict...