Legal Studies, Law Degree Programs and Training

Probation Officer

A probation officer has the responsibility of supervising the activities of individuals that have been convicted of crimes and released on probation. A probation officer is very similar to a parole officer in that both types of law enforcement deal with convicts, but probation officers primarily deal with convicts of lesser crimes who have not been recently discharged from state or federal prison. Probation officers work with local, state, and federal prison systems. When a convict is released from state (…)

Obscenity Law

Obscenity law is the law that regulates what images, speech and other expressions individuals can lawfully communicate. Obscenity law concerns itself with banning or suppressing speech that violates standards of good taste and decency. The area of law balances legitimate communication in a free society with the purposes of public censorship. The practice of obscenity law involves prosecuting and defending cases that challenge and interpret obscenity laws. Why do obscenity laws exist? Obscenity laws protect a sense of morality in (…)

Tax Law

Tax law is the practice of law that relates to the assessment and payment of taxes. Tax laws come from a variety of sources. They come from federal, state and local authorities. They’re based in federal and state constitutions, laws and regulations. Tax law involves understanding, implementing and defending the payment or non-payment of taxes. Tax lawyers help their clients understand tax laws and conduct their affairs in a way that’s advantageous with regards to tax laws. When disputes occur, (…)

Public Health Law

Law plays an important role in the public health care system. A public health official has many responsibilities and legal rights when protecting and promoting their community’s health. There are three areas associated with public health law, law of populations, prevention of disease and injury, and police power. Public health law is a field that focuses legal practice, scholarship and advocacy on issues involving the government’s legal authorities and duties “to ensure the conditions for people to be healthy,” and (…)

Music Law

Music law is the law that affects the music industry. Music is commercially bought and sold in the United States and around the world. Any law that impacts how the music industry does business is part of music law. Music law includes any laws of any kind that apply to the business of creating, selling, performing and listening to music. Music law is a part of entertainment law. Who does music law impact? Music laws impact most people in society (…)

How to Become a Correctional Officer

Correctional officers have the job of overseeing those individuals that are arrested and are waiting for trial or those that have been sentenced to jail, prison, or some other type of reformatory terms. Correctional officers work in correctional institutions, which can be hazardous and quite stressful at times. This position has a high rate of nonfatal injuries. Some of the duties of a correctional officer include: Enforcing the rules and keeping order within prisons or jails. Supervising the activities of (…)

Medical Malpractice Law

Medical malpractice law is the body of civil law that compensates victims of poor medical treatment. It’s a body of law that provides financial compensation when a person seeks medical care and receives care that falls below reasonable, professional standards. Medical malpractice law is the law that allows victims of poor medical care to receive financial compensation for their increased medical costs as well as for their pain and suffering. What is medical malpractice? Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor’s (…)

Cryptography Law

Cryptography law is the body of law that relates to securing and protecting information from unauthorized access. Cryptography laws protect individuals from having their personal information disseminated without their consent. They also work to protect government secrets as part of a military defense strategy. Another name for cryptography law is encryption law. What Is Cryptography? Cryptography or encryption is the practice of modifying information with a secret encoding key or other method of transforming the information to another form. The (…)

Doctor of Laws (J.S.D./S.J.D.)

After graduating with a Juris Doctor a person is eligible for practicing law in the particular state where they pass their bar examination. A person may then go on to specialize in a specific area of the law and study for a Master of Laws degree. For those individuals that prefer to work in academia or in other types of work that has an emphasis in legal scholarship, the Doctor of Laws is the next step. A Doctor of Laws (…)

Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit is a lawsuit with many plaintiffs. When a case is a class action case, there are a lot of people who claim they’ve been wronged by the defendant. The plaintiffs have similar complaints. The courts allow all of the plaintiffs to join together in order to litigate their issues together. Why do class action cases exist? Courts allow litigants to join together and bring their cases as one class action in order to conserve resources. Rather (…)

Coroner Careers

A coroner is an individual who directs activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses, and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths. Coroners are often the person that makes the decision to initiate an investigation if they determine the cause of death to be questionable. There are some areas that allow coroners the authorization to issue a subpoena and (…)

Appellate Law Practice

A trial isn’t always the end of the case. One or both parties may want to appeal part or all of the trial verdict. In addition, they may want to appeal certain aspects of the lower court’s proceedings that they believe may have led the jury or the court to make the wrong decision. The process of asking a higher court to review a decision made by a lower court or an administrative agency is called an appeal. Attorneys who (…)

Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation

For those that want to work in juvenile rehabilitation, there are many different careers available in this field. Some of the common careers in this include juvenile counselors, juvenile court attorneys, probation officers, and judges. Those that work in the juvenile justice system will deal with troubled youths in a number of settings. The justice system for juveniles was established as a way to discipline individuals that commit a crime, but are too young to be tried as adults. There is (…)

Martial Law

Martial law is a military takeover of a country’s civil legal system. When a country has martial law, there’s no independent judiciary to oversee law enforcement activities. Instead, law enforcement can make arrests without any independent body to oversee or monitor their activities. Martial law means that the military and other law enforcement bodies control the movement and detention of individuals within in the country. To challenge martial law, a detainee brings a petition for habeas corpus. United States law (…)

Communications Law

Communications law is the practice of law that relates to the exchange of information using technology. It’s any law that involves the regulation and use of electronic telecommunication. Communication law includes technologies like radio, television, cable and broadband internet. It involves the creation of rules and policies that govern use of these technologies. Communication regulations govern both public and private communications. Lawmakers create these regulations with the goal of making communication technologies accessible to all Americans at a reasonable price. (…)

How to Become a State Trooper

A state trooper is often referred to as the State Police or as Highway Patrol Officers. A State Trooper is typically responsible for enforcing traffic laws on state highways. In addition, these officers often help law enforcement agencies that are located in more rural areas. State Trooper Requirements Each state has varying requirements for their state troopers however the majority of states require an aspiring State Trooper to attend and graduate from the state police academy. For example, according to (…)

Juvenile Law

Juvenile law is the unique body of law that relates to minors. To put it another way, juvenile law is the law that applies specifically to juveniles. Although the juvenile criminal court is likely the most known example of juvenile law, there are many cases where the law treats a minor differently than an adult. While many constitutional rights are the same for both minors and adults like the right to the representation of an attorney in a criminal matter and the right to (…)

Court Administrator

According to the National Association for Court Management (NACM), the increasing complexity of American life and the scope of litigation in the United States have created an administrative burden on the courts that cannot be handled by judges and traditional court staff alone. The Court Administrator, a relatively new position, fills this gap by handling the managerial duties and administrative functions within the court system. This includes paying court employees, balancing the budget of the court system, and making sure (…)

Immigration Law

Immigration law is the combination of laws, rules and regulations that govern who can enter a country. Immigration and naturalization are two different things. Immigration governs who can come and go from a country. Naturalization controls who can become a citizen. However, they’re interrelated topics. Attorneys who practice immigration law usually have a practice that encompasses both immigration and naturalization. Where Do Immigration Laws Come From? In the United States, immigration laws exist on a national level. The U.S. President has significant control over (…)