Description Of Legal Areas of Practice

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW	Administrative law encompasses laws and legal principles governing the administration and regulation of government agencies (both Federal and state). Such agencies are delegated power by Congress (or in the case of a state agency, the state legislature) to act as agents for the executive. Generally, administrative agencies are created to protect a public interest rather than to vindicate private rights.
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ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME LAW	Admiralty law or maritime law is the distinct body of law (both substantive and procedural) governing navigation and shipping. Topics associated with this field in legal reference works may include: shipping; navigation; waters; commerce; seamen; towage; wharves, piers, and docks; insurance; maritime liens; canals; and recreation. Piracy (ship hijacking) is also an aspect of admiralty.
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APPELLATE PRACTICE	Appellate procedure consists of the rules and practices by which appellate courts review trial court judgments. Appellate review performs several functions, including: the correction of errors committed by the trial court, development of the law, achieving a uniform approach across courts, and the pursuit of justice, more generally.
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AVIATION AND AEROSPACE	Aviation law governs the operation of aircraft and the maintenance of aviation facilities. Both federal and state governments have enacted statutes and created administrative agencies to regulate air traffic.
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BANKING LAW	Banking law covers several types of financial institutions, including banks, savings unions, credit unions, and savings and loans. Banking law generally applies to domestic and international providers and consumers of debt financing.
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BANKRUPTCY	Judicial proceeding under federal law by which a person or corporation unable to pay its debts can have the debts adjusted and get a fresh start.
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BUSINESS LAW	Law which applies to the rights, relations and conduct of persons and businesses engaged in commerce, merchandising, trade and sales. In recent years this body of law has been codified in the Uniform Commercial Code, which has been almost universally adopted by the states
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CIVIL RIGHTS	Practice of law dealing with those rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, including the right to due process, equal treatment under the law of all people regarding enjoyment of life, liberty, property, and protection. Positive civil rights include the right to vote, the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a democratic society, such as equal access to public schools, recreation, transportation, public facilities, and housing, and equal and fair treatment by law enforcement and the courts.
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COMMERCIAL LAW	Commercial law governs the broad areas of business, commerce, and consumer transactions. The Uniform Commercial Code, which has been substantially adopted as statutory law in nearly every state, governs numerous areas of commercial law.
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CONSTRUCTION LAW	Construction law is the area of law concerning contract disputes, general contractor and subcontractor issues, substantial performance issues, arbitration, insurance, payment disputes, risk management and mechanical liens.
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CONTRACTS	Contract law is the law that governs contracts. A contract can take several forms - it can be written on a piece of paper (or napkin, even) or it can be just a verbal agreement if it satisfies the Statute of Frauds. Contract law covers the legal implications of a contract.
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CORPORATE LAW	Law specializing in handling legal matters concerning corporations rather than individuals. Examples would be disputes centering around business relationships
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CRIMINAL LAW	The branch of law that deals with crimes (public wrongs) such as robbery, burglary, forgery, homicide, etc.
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DEBTOR AND CREDITOR	Debtor-creditor law governs situations where one party is unable to pay a monetary debt to another. There are three types of creditors. First are those who have a lien have a charge against a particular piece of property. This property (or proceeds from its sale) must be used to satisfy the debt to the lien-creditor before it can be used to satisfy debts to other creditors. A lien may arise through statute, agreement between the parties, or judicial proceedings. See, e.g., Secured Transactions and Mortgages. Secondly, a creditor may have a priority interest. A priority arises through statutory law. If a creditor has a priority his debt must be paid when the debtor becomes insolvent before other debts. For example, Congress has granted priority to debts owed the Federal government. See Federal Tax Lien Act. The final type of creditor is one who has neither a lien against the debtor's property or is the subject of a statutory priority.
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DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW	Specialty of law also called domestic relations law concerned with such subjects as divorce, separating, paternity, custody, support, child care, and adoption.
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DUI / DWI / Traffic	DUI/DWI covers offenses committed by one accused of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquors or drugs. Traffic law is the area of law pertaining to traffic violations and the rules of conduct to promote the safe and orderly flow of traffic
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EDUCATION LAW	Promotes the interest in and understanding of the legal framework of education and the rights of students, parents, school boards and school employees
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ELDER LAW	Broad area of law dealing with the elderly and issues of Medicaid, Medicare claims and appeals, Social security and disability claims and appeals, supplemental and long term health insurance issues, disability planning, including use of durable powers of attorney, living trusts, "living wills," for financial management and health care decisions, and other means of delegating management and decision-making to another in case of in competency or incapacity, long-term care placements in nursing home and life care communities, nursing home issues including questions of patients' rights and nursing home quality, elder abuse and fraud recovery cases
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ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS	Area of law devoted to entertainment, sports, arts, intellectual property law, and other related areas.
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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW	Area of law that deals with environmental issues, the EPA, Clean Water Act, hazardous waste, endangered species
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FINANCE	Area of law that deals with the financing of commercial business transactions, including specific types of financing as well as the fundamental capitalization of businesses
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HEALTH CARE	Area of law specializing in patient's rights, Medicare, Medicaid, Managed Care
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IMMIGRATION	Area of law specializing in helping those coming into the country obtain permanent residence status.
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INSURANCE	Area of law covering issues related to insurance such as insurance claims being denied, being inadequately paid for a claim, if an insurer falsely claims a pre-existing condition.
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INTERNATIONAL LAW	The law that governs and determines the rights of independent nations during peace or war, the laws of nations.
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LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT	Area of law regarding employment status, and difficulties that arise in the workplace such as wrongful dismissal, being unfairly disciplined or demoted, or sexual harassment.
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LANDLORD TENANT	Landlord-tenant law governs the relationships between an owner, or landlord, of a home and the person who is renting the home as a residence - the tenant. The law covers both residential and commercial property.
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LEGAL MALPRACTICE	failure of an attorney to use such skill, prudence and diligence as lawyers of ordinary skill and capacity commonly possess and exercise in performance of tasks which they undertake. When such failure proximately causes damage it gives rise to an action.
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LITIGATION	Area of law that deals with the process of courts resolving disputes
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MEDICAL MALPRACTICE	In order to recover for negligent malpractice the plaintiff must establish the existence of the physicians duty to the plaintiff based upon the doctor-patient relationship, violation of the applicable standard of care, a compensable injury and a causal connection between the violation and the harm
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MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS	Area of law that deals with the aquiring of smaller companies by larger companies or the joining of two or more companies into one.
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PERSONAL INJURY	Physical harm to an individual, as through disease, bodily injury or death.
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PRODUCTS LIABILITY	The liability, usualy of manufacturers for damge caused by defects in their products
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PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY	Professional liability area of law for the plaintiff and defendant concerning licensed professionals.
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REAL ESTATE	Land and anything permanently affixed to the land such as buildings, fences etc. Handles the purchase and sale of real estate property
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SECURITIES	Area of law that focuses on security regulations including finance, banking and business organizations.
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TAXATION	Area of law specializing in problems with both personal and business taxes.
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TOXIC TORTS	Area of law specializing in helping those exposed to hazardous substances such as asbestos, DDT and other toxic materials
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TRANSPORTATION	Area of law specializing in the movement of goods or persons from one place to another by a carrier.
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TRUSTS AND ESTATES	Area of law specializing in the protection of assets upon death.
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WILLS AND PROBATE	Area of law specializing in wills, inheritence issues such as not receiving an inheritance you believe you are entitled to.
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WORKERS COMPENSATION	State and Federal statutes which provide for fixed awards to employees or their dependents in cas of employment related accidents and diseases
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ZONING, PLANNING AND LAND USE	Regulations having to do with structural and architectural designs of buldings and of regulations prescribing use to which buildings within designated districts may be put. Regulation of both the nature of land usage and the physical dimensiond of uses including height, setbacks and minimum area
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