Sources of Law

The Supreme Law of the land is

• The US Constitution

• Statutes from Congress

• Civil Law

• Criminal Law

When Congress passes a law it is called a

• Bill

• Statute

• Civil Law

• Criminal Law

All statutes from Congress are collected in the

• United States Regulations

• US Constitution

• United States Code

• Federal Law Code

Local laws are called

• Civil Law

• Governances

• Statutes

• Ordinances

Independent agencies and commissions make laws called

• Bills

• Regulations

• Rules

• Ordinances

When one side files a complaint that they have suffered because the other has not followed a law properly.

• Lawsuit

• Precedent

• Civil Law

• Civil Suit

Interpretations by the courts, mostly the Supreme Court, that must be followed by all lower courts in the future

• Regulation

• Interpretation

• Precedent

• Lawsuit

Serious crimes that have a punishment of more than a year in jail are called

• Felonies

• Misdemeanors

Less serious crimes where the punishment is less than a year in jail or sometimes a fine are called

• Felonies

• Misdemeanors

Laws that make certain actions illegal are called

• Regulations

• Statutes

• Criminal Law

• Civil Law