Law and Politics: Definition of Law

University:
University of Pittsburgh
Course:
LCJS 1300 | Law and Politics
Academic year:

2023
Views:

38

Pages:

1
Author:

mns81

Definition of Law The Definition of the Law: • Law is a language, not a collection of rules • Lawyers and judges attempt to prevent and solver other people's problems • Law is the process of preventing or resolving conflicts between people ○ Judges and lawyers are able to resolve conflicts and solve problems ○ Professors, plumbers, physicians can solve problems but usually do not resolve conflicts. Problem Solving - As a lawyer? Complicated: • Lawyers and judges work with certain kinds of problems that can lead to conflicts, even physical fights. ○ Lawyers try to stop conflicts before they start ○ Help discover ways to reduce taxes, write valid wills and contracts • Conflicts can start when a lawyer did the planning and preventing poorly, or because the client did not follow a lawyers advice. ○ Auto Collisions, disputes with a neighbor over a property line often begin WITHOUT a lawyer, but a lawyer will get involved for the cure. Law has its problems: • Law requires the ability to see specifies and to avoid premature generalizing and jumping to conclusions ○ Counseling, ministry and parenting also do • What distinguishes the conflict solving of lawyers and judges from the conflict solving of parents, counselors or ministers? ○ We define the nature, though not necessarily their solution in terms of rules that the state or government has made. ○ The law is a language that lawyers and judges use when they try to prevent or resolve problems or human conflicts using official rules made by the state as their starting point. • The idea is figuring out how to make of the facts once we "know" them