 Welcome to Unit 3 of PRDV 301, Introduction to Paralegal Studies. Already you can see that the body of law in the United States is a complex creature. The sources of American law very much reflect this complexity. We begin by considering the roots of American law within the context of our democratic systems. The Constitution grants law-making authority to representatives of the people, but executive agencies, courts, and even tradition all play important roles in the development of the law. But the law is not just diverse in its sources, it also comes in a number of classifications. We'll look next at some of the differences between civil and criminal laws and at laws that deal with disputes between private parties and those which govern legal issues between private parties and the government. Finally in this unit we'll look at how to find and interpret legal statutes created by legislatures and case law which comes out of common law. There are a number of paid and free resources available for locating laws and you'll learn how to find these and just as importantly comprehend the laws they contain. This is an important unit with a firm grounding in the sources of law. You'll be ready to explore the judicial system and you'll be off to a good start in legal research and writing which we'll delve into later in the course. Pay close attention to this one and good luck.