| Federal Administrative Law |
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| Federal government agencies are generally established by law or executive order. For example, Congress has passed laws setting up such federal agencies as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of Homeland Security. More... |
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| Opening Statements and Closing Arguments at Trial |
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| A trial begins with opening statements by the attorneys for the litigants (the parties in the lawsuit). The plaintiff (the party suing) has the burden of proof in the case. This means the plaintiff must prove the allegations in his/her complaint in order to win the case. The standard of proof in a civil lawsuit is a preponderance of the evidence (the facts are more in favor of the plaintiff than the defendant, the party being sued.) In a criminal prosecution, the government is the plaintiff. The government has to prove a criminal defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.More... |
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| The Courts and Community Relations |
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| A 1999 national survey conducted by the National Center for States Courts in Williamsburg, Virginia, revealed that almost half of all American citizens thought the courts were out of touch with the surrounding community. This number increased to two-thirds among African-Americans who were surveyed. As a result, collaborative programs between the community and state courts are becoming more common. The goal is to foster the average citizen's understanding of the judiciary and to build public trust in the court system.
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| State Appellate Procedural Process |
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| If a litigant is dissatisfied with the trial court's judgment, the litigant can file an appeal. The party who files the appeal is called the appellant; the other party is called the appellee or respondent. This article discusses the steps in the state appellate procedural process. More... |
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| Uniform Acts and Model Acts |
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| The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws was created in 1892. The National Conference is composed of more than 300 Uniform Law Commissioners. The Commissioners are lawyers who are appointed from each state. The Commissioners draft uniform or model legislation that addresses problems that are common to all states. The National Conference finances its activities through funds appropriated by state legislatures. The goal of the National Conference is to encourage the adoption of laws that are consistent throughout the states.
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