Our legal system requires a fair and independent judiciary. In order to maintain public trust in our system of justice, judges must conduct themselves in an ethical manner. There are codes of conduct, which set standards of behavior for state and federal judges. These standards are aimed at assuring the impartiality of judges and reducing the possibility of conflicts of interest.
An expert witness is a witness who has knowledge of a technical subject. Because of his or her education, training or experience, an expert witness's testimony will aid the trier of fact in finding the truth in a lawsuit.
Most states have legal aid societies, which are non-profit organizations that provide free legal assistance to indigents in civil matters. States also have public defenders who provide free legal representation to low income persons in criminal, juvenile, mental health, and dependency cases.
If the interpretation of a particular law becomes an issue in a case, the court must rely on rules of statutory interpretation or construction in deciding the law's meaning. This article discusses the main rules of statutory interpretation or construction.
After successfully completing law school, a law school graduate is required to pass a state bar examination before he or she will be admitted to the practice of law in the state. After admission to the state bar, 40 states require lawyers to continue their legal education during the period of time they actively practice law. The primary goal is to increase a lawyer's professional competence. Mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) courses are required in order for a lawyer to continue practicing law in that state.
