Inside American Law
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inside American Law
PART 1: The United States Constitution
Lesson 1. The Rule of Law Spirit when Nation was Founded
1. From Discovery of the New World to Independence Revolution
2. Constitution Convention and the Bill of Rights
3. Spirit of Rule of Law and the American Constitution
CONCLUSION
Lesson 2. Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, Law
1. Relation between State Governments and the Federal Government
2. The three equal branches of government and the balance of power
3. The law protects the individual from government restrictions and oppression
4. Black people and the rights of the minorities
5. The evolution of the Bill of Rights
PART 2: Understanding American Law
INTRODUCTION
Lesson 3. The spirit and principles of American Law
1. The Spirit of Law – Freedom and Self-Restraint
2. The principles of law reflected by the Federal Constitution
3. Who interprets the law?
4. Who executes the law?
5. The basic legal rights of the individual – where there are right there are also duties
Lesson 4. The characteristics of American Law
1. “That is unconstitutional!”
2. “Do not make this into a federal case!”
3. Common Law and Continental Law
4. The tradition of the jury
5. Finding the truth through contest – the adversarial system
6. Sportsmanship and the law
7. Fair trial – unfair verdict
8. Innocence and Not Guilty
9. The spirit of American capitalism
PART 3: The Operation of American Law
INTRODUCTION Correcting several common misunderstandings
1. Differences between criminal and civil law
2. The American criminal law process seen through the “O.J. Simpson Case”
3. Implementing the protection of individual by the Constitution
4. One mistake and regrets forever – criminal record
5. Probation, contempt of court and three strikes and you are out
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION. Several difficult to understand principles of civil law
1. Criminal cases have priory
2. The scope of civil law – difference between State and Federal law
3. Civil litigation procedure and the courts
4. Major principles of litigation
5. Damages and civil litigation
6. Appeal is as difficult as going to heaven
CONCLUSION. See you in court!
Lesson 7. The most common civil litigations
1. Worker compensation
2. Rental disputes
3. Divorces
4. The new popular litigation – sexual harassment
5. The story of the child’s property right
6. Dad, I am going to sue you!
7. The interesting small claims court
Lesson 8. Insight into civil litigation example 1: judge trial of personal injury case
1. Reform of the civil litigation procedure in California
2. Traffic accident and personal injury
3. Judge trial of a traffic accident case
PART 4: The American Lawyer
Lesson 9. Insight into civil litigation example 2: jury selection and trial
1. Jury trial – Brothers fighting for property
2. Three key points in the trial
3. Judge gives jury instructions to jury
4. Hung jury – anti climatic mistrial
5. Looking back on the brothers litigation
1. Law of evidence – a discipline that can be of minor or major impact
2. Introducing the law of evidence
3. The note worthy points in the use of evidence
4. Hearsay evidence and its exceptions
5. Illustrate the use of law of evidence through a traffic accident case
6. Illustrate the use of law of evidence through a litigation between brothers
Lesson 11. About the American lawyer
1. Lawyer – an enviable profession
2. Qualifications to become a lawyer
3. Life of a lawyer
Lesson 12. How to deal with lawyers
1. Who is the star?
2. He lawyer guards the client's confidential information
3. Selecting a lawyer
4. How to save legal fees?
4. Relation with a lawyer
5. What to do if you cannot afford a lawyer?
CONCLUSION. Society, Culture and the Law
1. Critique of the American society and its law
2. Review the past and moving forward