Basics of the U.S. Legal System
American law comes from two separate systems of government: the federal government and the state governments. Each system is consists of legislative, judicial and executive branches, each of which makes law.
Each branch makes a different type of law, but all types are equally important. The links above will introduce you to each type of law and how to find the appropriate sources.
In addition to the sources that contain the law itself, there are also sources that explain the law and help researchers find the law. The link in the blue box above will introduce you to some of these.
