Legal ethics broadly refer to the unique responsibilities of lawyers and the legal system given the important role and influence they have in society. Because of their role and their close involvement in the administration of law,...
legal history
legal ethics
Overview
legal formalism
Legal formalism refers to an approach to jurisprudence that emphasizes the discovery of legal principles through logical analysis, and the application of those principles to the facts of a case. Formalists believe that by applying a...
legal realism
Legal realism is a legal theory predicated on the notion that all law derives from prevailing social interests and public policy, as opposed to purely formalistic legal considerations. Legal realism is also thought of as a naturalistic...
legal systems
A legal system is the framework of rules, procedures, and institutions that a community uses to interpret and enforce their laws. A legal system is binding on all legal disputes within its jurisdiction.
There is no uniform...
legitimate
Legitimate has several legal meanings. When it is used as an adjective, it means lawful, or right. It can also be an antiquated term for an individual of lawful parentage or lawful issue, meaning that they weren’t born out of wedlock. In...
livery of seisin
Livery of seisin is the symbolic transfer of property during an ancient ceremony developed by medieval England. Seisin was specific to real property at the time of its use. In a traditional livery of seisin, the grantor would hand the grantee...
Lochner era
The Lochner Era refers to a period of history in the United States characterized by strong judicial protections for economic liberties, especially freedom of contract. The period takes its name from a landmark case, Lochner v. New York, 198...
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England in 1215, and was Europe’s first written constitution. Prior to the implementation of the Magna Carta, English monarchs were considered above the law of the land and ruled with...
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Marbury v. Madison (1803) was the U.S. Supreme Court case that established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review. (Read the opinion here).
After President John Adams lost the 1800 election, but before he left office,...
Model Penal Code (MPC)
The Model Penal Code (or MPC) is a model code assembled by the American Legal Institute that was first promulgated in 1962. Following the MPC’s promulgation, many states’ criminal codes underwent significant reforms, and to this day, many...