Legal Updates

English Common Law

e American judicial system has its origin in English common law. English common law is made up of two distinct court systems--courts of law (which can award money damages) and courts of equity (also called courts of chancery, which have the power to grant equitable remedies).

United States Marshals Service

The United States Marshals Service is a federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. U.S. Marshals are appointed by the President of the United States or the Attorney General of the United States. The mission of the U.S. Marshals is to protect the federal courts and to ensure the efficient operation of the judicial system.

General Civil Litigation

Criminal litigation involves the government's prosecution of a person because of an alleged commission of a crime. Criminal behavior is punished by imposing a fine and/or imprisonment on the offender. All criminal proceedings are initiated by a government entity. General civil litigation, on the other hand, involves disputes between private parties. A civil lawsuit is initiated by one person against another person, business, or government entity. There can be multiple plaintiffs (person suing) and/or multiple defendan

Products Liability Law

Products liability is an area of law that deals with injury or harm caused by a defective or flawed product. Perhaps the product was designed defectively or maybe the manufacturer used a faulty part in the product. A product is considered defective if the manufacturer failed to warn of its dangers.

Personal Representatives

When a person dies, state law establishes legal procedures for settling the deceased person's estate. This process is called probate. If the person has a will, he/she may name someone to serve as personal representative. A personal representative is the executor or administrator of a deceased person's estate. In some states, the terms executor and administrator are used in place of personal representative. If no personal representative is specified by will or if the person dies intestate (without a will), the probate court will appoint someone to serve as personal representative.