ABSTRACT
There are four major sources of United States (US) law. These are the Constitution of the US and of the individual states; treaties made by US government with foreign countries; statutes passed by Congress or the state legislatures; and court decisions. The Constitution of the US is “the supreme law of the land.” Treaties made between the US and other countries are, according to the Constitution, also part of the law of the land. Treaties are negotiated between the executive branch and foreign governments, and then ratified by the US Senate. Federal statutes, of course, are bills enacted by House of Representatives and the Senate, and then signed by the President. State statutes work the same way, that is, they are passed by the legislature of a state and signed by the governor thereof. The Constitution, treaties, and statutes are all simply words on paper. The interpretation of these words in “real world” situations is the role of courts.
