Knowing legal matters is essential to defend yourself and protect your rights. This is particularly true in areas like personal injury.
Basic legal knowledge
Having basic legal knowledge is a necessity in any legal matter. The law is a system of rules that are enforced through social institutions. Knowing the laws allows you to protect yourself and avoid conflicts with others. It also enables you to understand the legal process and procedures and how to deal with a lawyer.
In the United States, legal needs surveys have found significant gaps in legal knowledge among the general public. For instance, a Fishwick (1992) survey found that two-thirds of respondents were unaware of their rights, and one-fifth were aware of free legal services.
This lack of knowledge has led to violations of specific rights. However, individuals should still have the right to know the laws. The lack of knowledge is the main reason for violating these rights.
Moreover, the value of the law no longer depends on internal logic. It is increasingly ambiguous and has been challenged by globalization. As a result, scholars have engaged in a variety of approaches to the study of the law.
Positive law vs. law-as-such
Although the law is the bane of many a lawmaker, it is hard to deny that knowledge of legal etiquette is necessary for a healthy society. This is especially true in the United States, where there is an overabundance of bureaucracy. Thankfully, the legal system is not a vacuum but a logical organization of the various layers of government. A thorough understanding of the judicial hierarchy is key to ensuring an ordered legal system. Likewise, knowing the correct ad hoc protocol is essential for preventing any mishap if you are a litigant.
The importance of legal knowledge can be gauged by the number of lawyers employed in the country like from Sunder Legal and the number of judges appointed to the bench. The number of aspiring lawyers and their ilk has grown exponentially in recent years. This is not to mention the increase in the number of legal cases. In the United States, there are approximately ten million civil lawsuits annually. This is a number that is set to grow by the year. The best way to mitigate this risk is to ensure that every public member understands the legal system. The most effective means of this is establishing a common legal language across all jurisdictions, including the federal government and state and local governments.
Secondary sources of law
Generally speaking, the law has become too complex for even the most seasoned legal practitioner. In a nutshell, laws are a means of preventing conflict between social groups. They are enforced through social institutions. The value of a law depends on its ability to achieve its goal.
Interestingly, the most recent wave of legal scholarship has taken a page from the sociological field by incorporating some of the best social science practices into their research. This is because legal scholars have been able to access and digest data from other academic disciplines more easily.
For example, to prove that law is not a sterile and insular realm, some scholars have begun to take advantage of the social sciences’ ability to generate data that can be incorporated into the more significant legal puzzle. These include data on regulatory agencies, intergovernmental relations, and the role of technology in the lawmaking process.
Another significant improvement over its predecessor has been the use of a more comprehensive database of judicial decisions to provide better quality information. This has also allowed legal scholars to delve deeper into their subject matter. A good example is a study of the role of contract language in contract law.
Updating your legal research
Developing a research strategy is essential to update your legal research. It is crucial to map out your research and consult the appropriate resources before you start. This will help you avoid losing sources and make your study more efficient.
Creating a research plan will also make you less frustrated with your research. Keeping a paper log or an online citation management platform will enable you to keep track of your work and avoid missing sources.
It is important to remember that the law is constantly changing. Therefore, if a case or statute is no longer valid, you should not rely on it as an authoritative source. You may have to revert to secondary sources or go back to your primary sources to find the necessary information.
Secondary sources include law reviews, legal encyclopedias, and treatises. These sources will give you a comprehensive overview of a legal topic and can save you time. You can jumpstart your research on a new area by using the resources provided by these sources.