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US and New Jersey Court Systems
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1
Question
What principle must law conform to as the best approximation of fairness?
Answer
Uniformity in all aspects
2
Question
Does American law account for other nations' laws?
Answer
No, but it has roots from English law
3
Question
What are the two court systems in the United States?
Answer
State and federal systems
4
Question
What is 'black letter law'?
Answer
Law used in deciding cases: constitutions, statutes, caselaw, regulations, common law
5
Question
Which levels of government have constitutions as black letter law?
Answer
Both state and federal
6
Question
Is there federal common law?
Answer
No, only state common law
7
Question
What are the three branches of the federal and New Jersey governments?
Answer
Legislative, judicial, executive
8
Question
What is nicknamed the 'fourth branch' of government?
Answer
Regulatory agencies (state and federal, e.g., DEP and EPA)
9
Question
What is jurisdiction in the context of courts?
Answer
Power of a court to hear a specific type of case or amount in controversy
10
Question
How does jurisdiction differ by court type?
Answer
Limits cases like criminal trials to appropriate courts, not bankruptcy
11
Question
What is venue in court proceedings?
Answer
Geographical choice among courts with equal jurisdiction
12
Question
What distinguishes jurisdiction from venue?
Answer
Jurisdiction is power to hear; venue is location selection
13
Question
What is the trial level court in New Jersey's state system?
Answer
Superior Court Law Division and Chancery Division (original jurisdiction)
14
Question
What is the trial level in the federal court system?
Answer
U.S. District Courts (original jurisdiction over most cases)
15
Question
What is the intermediate appellate level in New Jersey?
Answer
Superior Court Appellate Division
16
Question
What is the intermediate appellate level in the federal system?
Answer
U.S. Courts of Appeals (Circuit Courts)
17
Question
What is the final appellate court in New Jersey?
Answer
Supreme Court of New Jersey
18
Question
What is the final appellate court in the federal system?
Answer
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)
19
Question
To which type of black letter law does stare decisis apply?
Answer
Caselaw and common law (precedent-following doctrine)
20
Question
What is judicial activism?
Answer
Judicial approach allowing minority views to prevail despite majority opposition
21
Question
How many U.S. Courts of Appeals exist below SCOTUS?
Answer
13 (12 regional circuits plus Federal Circuit)
22
Question
What is the role of the U.S. Courts of Appeals?
Answer
Review district court decisions and federal agency appeals for legal errors
23
Question
Do appellate courts use juries?
Answer
No, appellate courts decide without juries on law application
24
Question
What is unique about the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit?
Answer
Nationwide jurisdiction for specialized cases like patents and international trade
25
Question
How many cases does SCOTUS typically hear annually?
Answer
100 to 150 out of over 7,000 petitions
26
Question
What type of jurisdiction do U.S. Circuit Courts have?
Answer
Only appellate jurisdiction over district court cases
27
Question
What jurisdiction does the Supreme Court have?
Answer
Appellate via certiorari and limited original as per Constitution
28
Question
How many federal judicial districts are there in the U.S.?
Answer
94 across 50 states and territories
29
Question
What principle approximates fairness in the law?
Answer
Uniformity in all aspects
30
Question
Does American law account for other nations' laws?
Answer
No, it takes no account