Jack Gilbert

Constitutional Law Government Liability Legal Concepts

What is sovereign immunity?

March 26, 2026

Sovereign immunity is the doctrine that bars most lawsuits against federal and state governments unless they consent through a waiver. It protects agencies and officials...

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Constitutional Law Law and Society Legal Concepts

What is the rule of law?

March 26, 2026

The rule of law means everyone—including individuals, businesses, and government officials—is equally accountable under clear, publicly known, and fairly applied laws. It protects people from...

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Legal Concepts Legal Procedures Legal Rights

What is legal standing?

March 26, 2026

Legal standing is the legal requirement that you have a sufficient connection to—and harm from—a dispute to bring a lawsuit in court. In most cases,...

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Civil Litigation Legal Concepts Legal Definitions

What is res judicata?

March 26, 2026

Res judicata is a legal doctrine that generally bars a party from relitigating a claim after a final judgment on the merits has been entered....

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American Government Constitutional Law Government Powers and Authority Government Powers and Constitutional Limits

What is separation of powers?

March 26, 2026

Separation of powers divides government authority into 3 branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from gaining too much control. Each branch has distinct...

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American Government Civic Education & Media Literacy Constitutional Law

What is checks and balances?

March 26, 2026

Checks and balances is the U.S. system in which 3 branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—share power and can limit each other. It prevents any one branch...

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American Government Constitutional Law Federal vs State Law

What is federalism?

March 26, 2026

Federalism is a government system that divides power between a national government and state governments, creating two levels of authority. In the U.S., the Constitution...

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Evidence Handling Evidence Law Legal Evidence Management

What is chain of custody?

March 26, 2026

Chain of custody is a continuous, documented record of evidence control from collection through courtroom presentation, showing no tampering or contamination. It logs each transfer’s...

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Criminal Law Evidence Evidence Forensics

What is forensic evidence?

March 26, 2026

Forensic evidence is scientific evidence collected and analyzed for legal proceedings, commonly including DNA, fingerprints, trace materials, and digital data. It helps investigators reconstruct events...

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Constitutional Law Court System Judicial Review

What is judicial review?

March 26, 2026

Judicial review is the power of courts to invalidate laws or government actions that violate the constitution. It typically happens when a case is brought...

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Evidence Evidence Law Legal Evidence

What is evidence?

March 26, 2026

Evidence is any information introduced in court to prove or disprove a fact, typically grouped into 4 main types: testimonial, documentary, physical, and demonstrative. Judges...

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Court Proceedings & Evidence Criminal Law Evidence

What is circumstantial evidence?

March 26, 2026

Circumstantial evidence is indirect proof that requires an inference to establish a fact, rather than proving it outright. Courts in the U.S. generally allow convictions...

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