Law is a system of rules created and enforced by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. It has four principal purposes: establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting liberties and rights. Max Weber reshaped thinking on the extension of state power, and modern military, policing, bureaucratic and corporate institutions often pose new challenges to the accountability that is core to law.
A large number of countries have adopted a common law system, in which decisions of judges in cases are recognized as “law” on an equal footing with statutes passed by legislative bodies and regulations issued by executive branch agencies. In other countries, like Japan, a civil law system exists, in which legal statutes are compiled from decisions of judicial bodies that rule on individual lawsuits.
Lawyers are viewed as some of the most intelligent and hardworking professionals out there. Studying law is not easy and it takes a lot of time and effort to be successful as a lawyer. Those who are successful in this field are respected by many people in the business world and can get the job they want at almost any company.
There are a number of benefits that come with being an attorney such as a great salary, health insurance and vacations one or two times a year. Law is a fascinating and complex discipline that requires a lot of research and reading to understand. Oxford Reference provides comprehensive coverage of this discipline, providing expert-written, concise definitions and in-depth encyclopedic entries on major topics, including the law of nations, international law, family law, human rights law, taxation and law enforcement.