Lecture 5

Creating Laws

The purpose of this lecture is to discuss the two main methods used to create laws: statutes passed by the legislature, and common law created in courts.

Reading: These are the slides  for class.  The lecture itself will be available as a downloadable file during and after the TTh 12-2 class meeting. My summary is the main reading. There is material in all of the chapters you already have read in Miller & Jentz. Also look over these Maxims of Jurisprudence. The latter are a set of statutes in the California Civil Code which describe certain legal policies, or ideals, toward which laws are supposed to aim.

During the lecture, we will discuss certain aspects of the Constitution of the United States of America. I will hold you accountable for knowing and understanding them; specifically I want you to read (1) Amendments I, IV and V as a group, and (2) Article I Sections 8 & 9, and Amendments IX and X as a group. As for the rest of the Constitution, you should read it because (a) it is one of the most remarkable documents in human history, and (b) you're a citizen and you ought to know how your government is supposed to work.

Quizzes:

       Quiz 7 will be available from 1600 on 13 October until 1000 on 14 October. It covers only the readings & slides for this lecture.

       Quiz 8 will be available from 0800 on 16 October until 1800 on 18 October. This will cover all the material from this lecture.