Exercise 8

Hierarchy of Legal Authority

You are an American lawyer, attorney, preparing an appeal for your client who has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter (not intentional killing). You have a number of sources at your disposal. Rank them according to the priority of binding sources.

• a recent law review article discussing trends in involuntary manslaughter punishments

• a research book about involuntary manslaughter written by a famous law professor twenty years ago

• a five-year-old state statute defining the elements of involuntary manslaughter

• a case decided last year in the same jurisdiction and that is almost identical to your client’s case and in which the defendant was found not guilty

/ American Legal English, Debra S.Lee at al., University of Michigan Press, 2012/

Exercise 9

Represented below are examples of certain sources of common law. In order to study them closer do some tasks.

U.S. Constitution. Table of Contents

What do you think each of 1 - 3 Articles describe?

What provisions can be in the following Sections …. (your choice)?

Preamble Article 1 - The Legislative Branch Section 1 - The Legislature Section 2 - The House Section 3 - The Senate Section 4 - Elections, Meetings Section 5 - Membership, Rules, Journals, Adjournment Section 6 - Compensation Section 7 - Revenue Bills, Legislative Process, Presidential Veto Section 8 - Powers of Congress Section 9 - Limits on Congress Section 10 - Powers Prohibited of States Article 2 - The Executive Branch Section 1 - The President Section 2 - Civilian Power Over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress Section 4 - Disqualification Article 3 - The Judicial Branch Section 1 - Judicial Powers Section 2 - Trial by Jury, Original Jurisdiction, Jury Trials Section 3 - Treason Article 4 - The States Section 1 - Each State to Honor all Others Section 2 - State Citizens, Extradition Section 3 - New States Section 4 - Republican Government Article 5 - Amendment Article 6 - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths Article 7 - Ratification Signatories Amendment

Act of Parliament

What can be the provisions of the Pensions Act and the Succession to the Crown Act?

Education Act 2011 Tuesday, November 29, 2011 3:00:00 AM An Act to make provision about education, childcare, apprenticeships and training; to make provision about schools and the school workforce, institutions within the further education sector and Academies and for connected purposes. Pensions Act 2011 Tuesday, November 08, 2011 3:00:00 AM Succession to the Crown Act 2013 Wednesday, June 05, 2013 3:59:59 AM

Law Reporter. What kind of publication is the Connecticut Law Reporter?

The Connecticut Law Reporter is a weekly publication that provides brief digests of significant judicial opinions from the following courts: The Connecticut Supreme Court (the highest court of Connecticut) The Connecticut Appellate Court (the intermediate appellate court between the Supreme Court and the Superior Courts) The Connecticut Superior Courts (the trial courts of Connecticut from which appeals are taken to the Appellate Court and the Supreme Court) Each weekly issue of The Connecticut Law Reporter contains digests of the opinions from the courts described above, organized by area of practice. Copies of opinions from the other courts can be obtained by fax or mail at a nominal charge by calling the Law Reporter at 203-458-8000.

Portland Code of Ordinances

City of Portland, Maine Code of Ordinances last updated July, 2003.

What is the purpose of this code of ordinances? What does it regulate?

City Charter Chapter 1 General Provisions Chapter 2 Administration Chapter 3 Alcoholic Beverages Chapter 4 Amusements Chapter 5 Animals and Fowl Chapter 6 Buildings and Building Regulations Chapter 12 Garbage, Wastes and Junk Chapter 13 General Assistance Chapter 13.5 Human Rights Chapter 14 Land Use Chapter 15 Licenses and Permits

Chapter 18 Parks, Recreation and Public Building Chapter 20 Police Chapter 21 Public Markets Chapter 25 Streets, Sidewalks And Other Public Places Chapter 26 Swimming Pools Chapter 27 Broadband Telecommunications Network Chapter 28 Traffic And Motor Vehicles Chapter 29 Vegetation Chapter 30 Vehicles For Hire Chapter 31 Scrap Metal Recycling Facilities Chapter 32 Storm Water

Law Review

This source is used only by the students and does not have any binding power.

Harvard Law Review Volume 126 · April 2013 · Number 6 ARTICLE The Problem of Resource Access Lee Anne Fennell BOOK REVIEW Not Unwritten, After All? David A. Strauss DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAW Developments in the Law — Immigrant Rights & Immigration Enforcement RECENT CASES D.C. Circuit Interprets Military Commissions Act of 2006 to Bar Retroactive Application of Material Support Prohibition. — Hamdan v. United States, 696 F.3d 1238 (D.C. Cir. 2012). D.C. Circuit Dismisses Suit Against National Port Authority of Liberia for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction. — GSS Group Ltd. v. National Port Authority, 680 F.3d 805 (D.C. Cir. 2012)