The Different Fields Of Law (+Books Worth Reading)

What do Barack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto and Margaret Thatcher have in common? Aside from being world leaders, they all studied the law. The law applies to all aspects of human life. It is such an integral part of our society, informing everyday life – from resolving conflict, establishing standards, maintaining order, and protecting human rights. 

There are many different fields of law to consider; take time to explore each. Learning about the various fields will help you decide which area is right for you. 

Main fields of law:

If you need an idea of where to start, check out these books:

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: AN OPEN-SOURCE CASEBOOK

By Brian L. Frye & Elizabeth Schiller

This is a free casebook that covers a wide range of different subjects related to the professional responsibility of attorneys.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW CASES: THE STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT

by Ziyad Motala

Whenever we ask the question whether something is constitutional, we look to decisions of the courts particularly the United States Supreme Court. This body of case law provides us with an understanding on the meaning of the Constitution. It is fair to say that judicial review is the foundation of constitutional law. 

This case book limits the excerpts to focus primarily on Supreme Court decisions that interpret and explain the distribution of power between the national government and the states and between the executive and congress. The excerpts from the cases are heavily abbreviated to allow the reader to focus on the essence of the court's decision. This case book is suited to a course on the structure of government.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW CASES: EQUAL PROTECTION AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

by Ziyad Motala

This body of case law provides us with an understanding of the Equal Protection Clause, the notion of implied fundamental rights, the First Amendment Freedom of Speech and Religion and finally the Supreme Court's treatment of State Action and Private Power. It is fair to say that judicial review is the foundation of constitutional law. This case book limits the excerpts to focus primarily on the seminal decisions of the Supreme Court. 

Although the casebook provides substantial excerpts from the key cases, the excerpts are heavily abbreviated to allow the reader to focus on the essence of the court's decision. This case book is suited to an advanced course on Constitutional Law. 

TEXAS OIL AND GAS LAW: CASES AND MATERIALS

by Jacqueline L. Weaver, Bret Wells

Texas Oil and Gas Law: Cases and Materials is an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the state of the law in the nation’s largest oil and gas producing state. The book contains all the landmark cases that have shaped the substantive law in Texas, edited to highlight their holdings and their implications for future cases and for the practice of oil and gas law.

The cases are followed by Problem Sets and Notes that allow students to test their knowledge of the substantive case law. Texas Oil and Gas Law presents a rich mixture of property law, contract law, and tort law along with the key statutes and Railroad Commission rules imposed to prevent waste and protect correlative rights. The casebook includes graphics that illustrate issues arising under horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. A Form Oil and Gas Lease is appended that relates to many of the issues in the case law under study.

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT AND BUSINESS LAW

by Don Mayer, Daniel M. Warner, George J. Siedel, Jethro K. Lieberman, Alyssa Rose Martina

This textbook provides context and essential concepts across the entire range of legal issues with which managers and business executives must grapple. The text provides the vocabulary and legal acumen necessary for businesspeople to talk in an educated way to their customers, employees, suppliers, government officials—and to their own lawyers.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: LAW & THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

by James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins

This book is an introduction to intellectual property law, the set of private legal rights that allows individuals and corporations to control intangible creations and marks—from logos to novels to drug formulae—and the exceptions and limitations that define those rights. It focuses on the three main forms of US federal intellectual property—trademark, copyright and patent—but many of the ideas discussed here apply far beyond those legal areas and far beyond the law of the United States.

INTERNET LAW: CASES AND MATERIALS

by Eric Goldman

This is a casebook for students learning Internet Law, but other people interested in Internet Law may find it interesting. The book covers jurisdiction, contracts, trespass to chattels, intellectual property (copyright, trademarks and domain names), pornography, defamation and other information torts (including limits on web host liability), privacy, spam and the legal issues applicable to blogs and social media.

REMEDIES IN U.S. PATENT LAW

By Thomas Cotter

This is a free, 'open' textbook designed for a one or two-credit course in U.S. patent remedies.  The casebook covers the law of permanent and preliminary injunctions, damages, and declaratory judgments. 

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