Law is an area of study that encompasses a vast range of subjects. It covers everything from criminal justice, to civil law, to constitutional law and more. It explains the rules and policies that govern our society and how they are applied. The legal field is one of the most important and complex areas of any society. It shapes politics, economics, history and culture in many ways, and also acts as a mediator between people.
According to Salmond, the aim of law is to ensure justice. This can be either distributive or corrective justice. Distributive justice seeks a fair distribution of social benefits among citizens and corrective justice seeks to remedy wrongs done to them.
Another goal of law is to establish standards for acceptable behaviour in a society. For example, the law may prohibit certain activities that injure or damage other people or their property (such as murder).
The law may also regulate businesses and protect public services. For example, banking law sets minimum levels of capital that banks must hold and imposes rules about best practice in investing. It also imposes regulations on utilities such as water, gas and electricity.
A third function of the law is to provide protections against discrimination. For example, it may prevent unfair hiring practices or limit the use of racial slurs. The law can also protect intellectual property rights by prohibiting the copying of protected works or making it illegal to counterfeit goods.
According to Blackstone, the judge is the depositories of law. He or she must decide cases based on a careful consideration of the facts of each case and the law in question. He or she must consider a variety of sources, such as the constitution, statutes and case law. Blackstone also wrote that a decision must be binding on all courts of the country. This is called the doctrine of stare decisis.
Another important concept in law is procedural justice. This is the idea that the law must be accessible to all, administered fairly, and evenly. This includes the right to a speedy trial and to appeal. It also requires impartial judges and juries, who are trained in law and whose makeup is reflected in the population they serve.
If you are interested in a career in law, you should begin by researching the various types of legal fields and learning about the different law schools. You should also start preparing for the LSAT, which is the Law School Admission Test. You can register with LSAC, which will package up your LSAT scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation into an official report and send it to the law schools you are applying to. This service is required by most ABA-accredited law schools. It can be expensive, however, so you should make sure that you are eligible before registering with LSAC. You should also research the specific requirements for each law school you are considering. Some require the submission of a personal statement, writing sample and letters of recommendation while others do not.