INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S. LEGAL SYSTEM SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT

INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S. LEGAL SYSTEM SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT AMERICAN LAW Professor Hartnell Winter Semester 2005/2006 Most American law is state law. The first-year curriculum in U.S. law schools consists almost exclusively of state law. Procedural law plays a very important role in the U.S. legal system. The primary materials used for teaching law in the U.S. are appellate opinions. The first-year curriculum in U.S. law schools emphasizes discussion and argument, because the purpose of American legal education is to train lawyers who argue cases.