The term federal is typically used to refer to the United States Government, its legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the statutes, rules, and regulations enacted by those branches of government.
The split of...
constitutional law
federal courts
Federal Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction which have the authority to hear cases that fall both within the scope defined in Article III Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution and Congressional statutes (See 28 U.S.C. §1251, §1253, §1331...
federal judiciary
Federal judiciary is the judiciary of the federal government. Article III of the U.S. Constitution establishes the federal judiciary, which consists of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts that Congress created. The scope of the...
federal question jurisdiction
Overview
Federal question jurisdiction is one of the two ways for a federal court to gain subject matter jurisdiction over a case (the other way is through diversity jurisdiction). Generally, in order for federal question jurisdiction to...
federalism
Overview
Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. Generally, an overarching national government is responsible for broader governance of larger territorial areas, while the...
feminist jurisprudence
Feminist jurisprudence is a philosophy of law based on the political, economic, and social issues of equality. As a field of legal scholarship, feminist jurisprudence began in the 1960s. It now holds a significant place in U.S. law and legal...
Fifth Amendment
Overview
The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces...
First Amendment
Overview
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free...
foreign relations
Foreign relations law of the United States encompasses both international law, which embodies the rules that determine the rights and obligations of states and international organizations, and that part of the domestic law of the United...
forfeiture
Forfeiture, the government seizure of property connected to illegal activity, has been a major weapon in the federal government's "war on drugs" since the mid-eighties. Several developments called attention to the darker side of this practice...