Chapter 5
The Big Three: Categories of Law
IN THIS CHAPTER
Tackling the bureaucracy of administrative agencies
Getting a grip on criminal law
Deciphering civil law and the essentials of tort and contract law
In your paralegal career, you need to know the difference between procedural law, which governs the processes of how the law is applied through courts and other tribunals, and substantive law, which consists of the actual rules that govern society. You can find out about procedural law in Chapters 6 and 7, but this chapter focuses on the three general areas of the substantive law: administrative, criminal, and civil.
Administrative law concerns the operations of agencies within the executive branch of government, like social services, worker’s compensation, and unemployment benefits. Criminal actions occur when the federal or state government (or both, if someone has been really, really bad!) files charges against a person alleged to have committed a public offense and an injustice against the “peace and dignity” of the “people of the state.”
Civil law consists of personal actions used to compel payment, such as money damages, or some other action. A significant difference ...
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