Jurisdiction in Federal Courts Quiz

Functions of Law

• The primary function of law in society is to provide a framework for resolving disputes and regulating behavior.

Legal Concepts

• Liability refers to being legally responsible for something like a debt or obligation.
• The supreme law of the land in the United States is the US Constitution, which serves as the source of laws.

Sources of Law

• Constitutional Law is derived from the US Constitution and those of the 50 states in the union.

Administrative Agencies

• Enabling legislation creates administrative agencies, which are granted authority to implement laws and regulations.

Common Law

• Common Law originated from England.

Legal Reasoning

• The process of legal reasoning involves four steps: Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion (IRAC).

Stare Decisis

• Stare decisis refers to the legal principle of following precedents set by previous court decisions.

Types of Law

• Substantive Law focuses on defining, describing, regulating, and creating legal rights and obligations.

US Federal Court System

• The highest tier of courts in the US federal court system is the Supreme Court.

Criminal Law

• The primary objective of criminal law is to punish offenders and protect society.

Constitutional Provisions

• The Privileges and Immunities Clause (Article IV, Section 2) prohibits states from discriminating against residents and imposing unreasonable burdens.
• The Supremacy Clause (Article VI, Clause 2) establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

Preemption

• Preemption refers to the concept that federal law takes precedence over conflicting state laws.

Civil Liberties

• Congress enacted the Bill of Rights to limit government intrusion on individual rights.
• Substantive Due Process refers to the principle that government actions must be reasonable and fair.

Freedom of Speech

• Obscene speech is NOT protected by the First Amendment.

Judicial Review

• Judicial Review involves the judiciary's role in reviewing and interpreting the Constitution.

Tort Law

• The primary purpose of tort law is to compensate victims for harm or injury.
• In a defamation case, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant made a false statement that damaged their reputation.
• Libel refers to written false statements, while slander refers to spoken false statements.
• To prove an intentional emotional distress tort, it must be shown that the defendant's conduct was extreme and outrageous.

Negligence

• To prove negligence, it must be shown that the defendant breached a duty of care, which caused harm to the plaintiff.
• Causation in fact refers to the requirement that the defendant's breach of duty must have caused the plaintiff's harm.
• Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for their wrongdoing.
• Superseding intervening cause refers to an event that breaks the chain of causation in a negligence case.
• The key element in proving negligence related to duty of care is foreseeability.

Contracts

• A unilateral contract is formed by the party's conduct.
• In a bilateral contract, the offeree mustcommunicate their acceptance of the offer to the offeror.
• A voidable contract may be avoided by a party if they choose to do so.
• Strict Liability imposes liability without fault, often in cases of product liability.
• The Doctrine of Strict Liability holds manufacturers liable for defective products.
• A quasi-contract is a contract implied by law, which imposes contractual obligations on the parties.
• Courts interpret ambiguous terms in a contract against the drafter (the person who wrote the contract).
• A nullity is writing that has no legal effect and creates no legal obligation.
• Unambiguous terms in a contract are given their plain meaning.

Test your knowledge on appellate jurisdiction, federal questions, diversity of citizenship, and exclusive jurisdiction in federal courts. Learn about the different methods of jurisdiction and where specific types of cases can be heard.