The legal profession is always changing. Law firms are looking for ways to serve clients more efficiently and creatively. Many are embracing the concept of “law new” which is often hard to define but is about providing services in innovative ways that benefit clients. It can involve working with underserved communities, finding innovative ways to get work and creating strategies that have not been a part of traditional law practice in the past.
Law is a branch of philosophy that studies legal rules and their interpretations. Different schools of law have differing theories of what laws are and how they should be applied. For example, Bentham’s utilitarian theory of law held that laws should be based on what benefits the greatest number of people, and therefore should be permissive rather than prohibitive. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, on the other hand, argued that laws should be based on moral principles and should reflect natural law.
Other definitions of law include constitutional law, which focuses on the constitution of a nation and how it should be interpreted; administrative law, which focuses on the administration of government, including agencies and regulatory bodies; common law, which refers to cases decided by judges under common law systems; and tort law, which relates to civil rights violations and damages for injuries caused by others’ actions.
In the modern world, law is usually considered a social science. It is based on a combination of facts and principles, and it is often analyzed using the scientific method, which involves asking questions, conducting experiments and drawing conclusions. Law is also a highly pragmatic field, as it is meant to guide people’s behavior and protect them from harm.
The City’s online law library is a free resource for New Yorkers and contains the full texts of all laws passed and signed by the Mayor, the Council and NYC’s boards and commissions. This website also includes the NYC Charter, the City’s Administrative Code and the New York City Charter.
