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LawCollegeCourse

Introduction to the U.S. Legal System

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No account or prerequisite completion is needed for independent study. These practice results are not supervised credit or a certificate.

Overview

Learn to identify legal sources, map federal and state courts, evaluate authority, and follow a fictional civil dispute from intake through appeal. First course in the J.D. Preparation pathway. Independent educational preparation, not degree credit.

Disclaimer: Educational preparation only; not legal advice, university credit, a J.D. degree, or a determination of bar eligibility. Jurisdiction-specific rules must be researched.

8 lessons, 80 questions, 77 notecards

Lesson plan

  1. Module 1. Sources of law and legal institutions

    1. Recognizing sources of law
    2. Institutions, powers and legal conflicts

  2. Module 2. Federal and state court structures

    1. Mapping trial and appellate courts
    2. Separating jurisdiction, venue and governing law

  3. Module 3. Precedent, jurisdiction and authority

    1. Deciding which authority controls
    2. Reading a rule and applying it to changed facts

  4. Module 4. From client problem to judicial decision

    1. From intake to a trial-court judgment
    2. Review a judgment and complete the case map