The law is an institution that provides a system of rules for controlling the behavior of people and groups in a society. This system is made up of both written laws and customs and policies that are recognized and enforced by a society’s authority figures, such as government officials or judges. A law can also refer to the department of knowledge that studies these rules, a branch of study called jurisprudence.
The New York City Law Department’s New Attorney Program is designed to provide an opportunity for individuals who are interested in a career in municipal law to develop the skills and experience needed to serve as a member of the Legal Counsel Division. In this role, new attorneys will work with staff lawyers to advise City agencies and the Mayor with respect to policy initiatives and pending federal, state and local legislation. They will also assist with drafting and reviewing City legislation, local rules and contracts and participate in meetings with elected officials with respect to law-related issues.
Legal services are increasingly based on collaboration, and the new law is a highly collaborative environment where a diverse team works together to deliver solutions to complex business problems. The new legal industry resembles its corporate customers and society at large in that it is cognitively, demographically, culturally, and experientially diverse. It is tech and data-proficient, creative, empathetic, and solution-driven. Its delivery structure is platform-based and enables agile, fluid, on-demand resources with verifiable, material expertise and experience to be sourced. Profit is derived from purpose-driven delivery and customer impact, not from adherence to legacy economic models based on input.
A bill to create a law is introduced in Congress by either a senator or representative who sponsors it. Then, the bill goes through a process of research, discussion, changes, and voting in both chambers of Congress to become a law. Once the bill passes both houses, it is sent to the president for his or her signature.
The Oxford Law Dictionary defines law as “a set of rules and regulations made by a particular country or community to control the actions of its members. A law may be formal or informal, a code of conduct or a set of principles laid down by a judge or other official.” The word is derived from the Latin phrase leges, meaning “rules” and is cognate with the English words rule and lie. The dictionary explains that the first known use of the word dates from about 1230. The entry notes that the term was probably originally used in reference to a set of rules of hunting and later came to be applied to a general set of rules for a community. The law is the basis of civil and criminal justice systems and the basis for other social institutions such as schools and churches. The law is also central to the economy and culture of a nation and influences social justice, the environment, and international relations.