Overview of basic legal principles and foundational structures in law.
Different categories of legal systems such as Common Law, Civil Law, Customary Law, Religious Law, and Hybrid Systems.
Origins of law including Constitutions, Statutory Law, Case Law, Regulations, and International Law.
Methods of interpreting laws, including the Literal Rule, Golden Rule, Mischief Rule, and the Purposive Approach.
Legal reasoning in court decisions, focusing on Stare Decisis, Binding vs. Persuasive Precedent, and Judicial Activism vs. Restraint.
Fundamental legal concepts such as the Rule of Law, Equity, and debates between Natural Law and Legal Positivism.
The study of the Constitution, its principles, and the structure of government.
US Constitution
The role and function of a Constitution in structuring government and protecting rights.
The division of power between state and federal governments.
The division of government responsibilities into the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches.
How courts interpret laws and review the constitutionality of legislation.
Key Supreme Court cases such as Marbury v. Madison and Brown v. Board, which shaped US constitutional law.
US Amendments
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting fundamental individual rights.
Amendments that address civil rights, including the abolition of slavery and the expansion of voting rights.
The process and historical context for amending the US Constitution.
Administrative Law
The roles of agencies in creating and enforcing regulations.
The process of lawmaking by regulatory bodies rather than by elected lawmakers.
Mechanisms for ensuring government agencies' decisions are transparent and subject to review, such as judicial review and ombudsman oversight.
The body of law focused on crime, criminal behavior, and the justice system.
General Principles
The goals of criminal law, including protection of society, deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation.
Different types of crime such as felonies, misdemeanors, white-collar crimes, and cybercrimes.
Elements of a Crime
The physical act of committing a crime (guilty act).
The mental state or intent required for a crime (guilty mind), including intention, recklessness, and negligence.
Legal justifications or excuses for committing a crime, such as insanity, duress, self-defense, and necessity.
Criminal Procedure
Constitutional protections ensuring fair treatment through the legal system.
The responsibilities of the prosecution and defense attorneys in a criminal case.
The principles and rules governing sentencing, including severity and fairness of punishments.
Mechanisms for resolving legal conflicts outside of traditional court processes.
Civil Litigation
The key phases of a civil lawsuit, including pleadings, discovery, trial, and appeals.
Basic legal concepts like burden of proof, the standard of evidence, and how judgments are enforced.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Non-litigation methods of dispute resolution, such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiation.
Advantages and disadvantages of ADR versus traditional court proceedings, such as efficiency, cost, and confidentiality.
The increasing use of ADR as an effective method of resolving disputes in contemporary legal systems.
Ethical considerations and responsibilities in the legal profession.
The confidentiality principle that protects communications between an attorney and their client.
Situations where a lawyer's duties to one client may conflict with their duties to another client or their own interests.
Ethical standards for judges and attorneys, and the consequences of malpractice.
Legal safeguards for individuals who report unethical or illegal activities within organizations.