In camera review is when a judge privately examines evidence or documents outside public view to decide whether they should be disclosed or admitted. It’s...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
