A brief lecture concerning the rich heritage of
the American legal system.
AN INTRODUCTION TO
PRACTICAL LAW
What is Practical Law?
 It is part of the field of study known as
jurisprudence – or the study of law and legal
philosophy.
 How does this course fit into the definition of
jurisprudence?
 Goals of the American legal system:
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Protecting basic human rights
Promoting fairness
Helping resolve conflicts
Promoting order and stability
Representing the will of the majority
Protecting the rights of minorities
English Common Law
 A brief review of history:
 Our judicial heritage from
England
 Conservative by nature
 Providence
 Precedence
 The rule of law in American
society
 The Supremacy of the Law
 The Creation o f the law
 Examples of the rule of law
 Does any of this matter at
all?
A few of my favorite things about
SCOTUS…
 The “rule of four”
 The means by which writs of certiorari
are granted by the Supreme Court
 The adversarial system
 Head-to-head competition
 The best team wins
 A panel of independent judges…
 “…by an impartial jury of the state or
district wherein the crime shall have
been committed.”
 Free speech
 Dissenting opinions from the
Supreme Court
A word from Chief Justice Roberts…
 Answer the following questions as you
view the documentary:
 Why is the “Rule of Law” so important?
 Why did the Founding Fathers create a
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Supreme Court?
Why so few details in Article III of the U.S.
Constitution?
How do cases reach SCOTUS?
Describe the process of the Justices handling
“briefs” and reaching their decisions.
Describe the process of “oral arguments” at
the Supreme Court.
Explain the significance of “written
opinions.”
Quiz tomorrow…
 Be sure you understand
the following concerning
tomorrow’s quiz:
 will cover the first set of
lecture notes and
documentary questions
 Composed of ten short/
long answer questions
 Will count 20/ 100 points
toward your 1st Quarter
“Quiz Average”