Preface |
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xi | |
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1 There Are No Secret Books: You Can Understand the Law |
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1 | (8) |
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2 The Supreme Law of the Land: Constitutional Law |
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9 | (38) |
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What is constitutional law? |
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9 | (5) |
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Why do we need constitutional law? |
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14 | (4) |
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How does the Supreme Court decide what the Constitution means? |
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18 | (6) |
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Where does the Supreme Court get the authority to interpret the Constitution? |
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24 | (6) |
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What powers does constitutional law give to the rest of the federal government? |
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30 | (12) |
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What powers do the states have under constitutional law? |
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42 | (5) |
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3 First Freedoms: Constitutional Rights |
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47 | (48) |
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What rights does constitutional law protect? |
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47 | (2) |
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49 | (4) |
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Does constitutional law require that everyone be treated equally? |
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53 | (7) |
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How does the Constitution protect freedom of speech? |
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60 | (14) |
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How does the Constitution protect freedom of religion? |
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74 | (7) |
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What other rights are protected by the Constitution? |
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81 | (14) |
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4 Your Day in Court: The Litigation Process |
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95 | (46) |
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95 | (3) |
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Why do we need civil litigation and civil procedure? |
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98 | (2) |
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Where do court cases come from? |
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100 | (2) |
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Where can a lawsuit be brought? |
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102 | (3) |
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When can you make a federal case out of it? |
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105 | (4) |
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If you can sue in different places, what law will apply in each place? |
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109 | (1) |
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How does a lawsuit begin? |
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110 | (2) |
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What can the defendant do to respond to a lawsuit? |
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112 | (3) |
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What if there are more than two parties to a lawsuit? |
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115 | (3) |
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What if there are many parties to a lawsuit? |
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118 | (1) |
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How do the parties discover the facts about their case? |
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119 | (4) |
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What else happens before the trial? |
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123 | (2) |
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125 | (3) |
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What evidence can be presented at trial? |
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128 | (2) |
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130 | (6) |
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What happens after trial? |
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136 | (5) |
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5 Hot Coffee and Crashing Cars: Tort Law |
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141 | (38) |
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142 | (2) |
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144 | (5) |
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Is it a tort when you hit someone? |
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149 | (3) |
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Is it a tort when you injure someone by not being careful? |
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152 | (4) |
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What does the law mean by reasonable care? |
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156 | (3) |
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How does a plaintiff prove that a defendant has been negligent? |
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159 | (3) |
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What if the victim is partly at fault for an accident? |
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162 | (2) |
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If someone does not intend to injure someone else and acts with reasonable care, can he or she still be liable in tort? |
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164 | (1) |
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When is a manufacturer liable for injuries caused by its products? |
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165 | (6) |
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What damages can a plaintiff get in a tort case? |
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171 | (5) |
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When are damages awarded to punish the defendant? |
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176 | (3) |
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6 A Deal's a Deal: Contract Law |
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179 | (34) |
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179 | (1) |
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Why do we need contract law? |
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180 | (5) |
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How do you make a contract? |
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185 | (4) |
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Does a contract have to be in writing to be enforceable? |
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189 | (2) |
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Can anyone make a contract? |
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191 | (1) |
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Once two people make an agreement, is it always enforceable? |
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192 | (3) |
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If a contract is unfair, can a court refuse to enforce it? |
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195 | (2) |
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How does the law treat form contracts and online contracts? |
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197 | (5) |
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Once you make a contract, can you ever get out of it? |
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202 | (2) |
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What happens if one party's performance depends on something happening and it doesn't happen? |
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204 | (3) |
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Will a court order someone to perform a contract? |
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207 | (2) |
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How much does someone have to pay for not keeping a promise? |
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209 | (4) |
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7 You Are What You Own: Property Law |
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213 | (42) |
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213 | (4) |
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Why do we need property law? |
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217 | (3) |
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What kinds of property are there? |
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220 | (3) |
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223 | (3) |
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How can someone acquire property? |
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226 | (3) |
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How is property purchased and sold? |
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229 | (5) |
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How is property transferred on death? |
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234 | (5) |
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239 | (1) |
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How do people own property collectively? |
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239 | (4) |
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How else can ownership of property be shared? |
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243 | (3) |
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What are the property rights of a landlord and a tenant? |
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246 | (3) |
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When can the government take your property? |
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249 | (6) |
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8 Crime Doesn't Pay: Criminal Law |
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255 | (46) |
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255 | (4) |
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Why do we need criminal law? |
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259 | (4) |
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263 | (3) |
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Does someone have to mean to commit a crime to be guilty? |
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266 | (4) |
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When is self-defense justified? |
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270 | (3) |
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When are the police justified in using force? |
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273 | (2) |
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In what other circumstances is someone justified in committing a crime? |
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275 | (3) |
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Why are criminals allowed to plead insanity as a defense? |
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278 | (6) |
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What other defenses are available? |
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284 | (2) |
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Can someone be convicted for almost committing a crime? |
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286 | (5) |
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291 | (5) |
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Why is rape law so controversial? |
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296 | (5) |
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9 Protecting the Innocent, Freeing the Guilty: Criminal Procedure |
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301 | (46) |
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What is criminal procedure? |
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301 | (2) |
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Why do we need criminal procedure? |
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303 | (3) |
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What are the steps in the criminal process? |
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306 | (3) |
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When can the police conduct a search and seizure? |
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309 | (6) |
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What is the privilege against self-incrimination? |
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315 | (4) |
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What happens if police violate a defendant's rights? |
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319 | (3) |
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322 | (4) |
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326 | (4) |
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What is the adversary process? |
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330 | (3) |
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How does sentencing work? |
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333 | (4) |
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What about the death penalty? |
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337 | (4) |
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Why does it seem that criminal appeals go on so long? |
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341 | (6) |
Conclusion |
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347 | (2) |
Index of Legal Cases |
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349 | (4) |
Index of Subjects |
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353 | |