Assignment : How a Law Becomes a Law

According to the Library of Congress, approximately 40,000 state and federal laws are ratified annually. For this reason, it is important to have an understanding of the manner in which a law is enacted. Imagine that your supervising attorney has approached you to research this topic.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which:

1. Identify the source(s) from which the authority to legislate is derived. Determine whether or not Congress has unreasonably and unlawfully expanded upon an identified source's authority to legislate. Provide a rationale for your response.

2. Examine the value of dicta to the judicial decisions. Provide two (2) examples that illustrate the potential effect of dicta on judicial decisions.

3. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe the publication and codification of statutory law, and the publication of case laws and judicial opinions.

• Research information using primary and secondary sources.

• Develop effective research strategies, and conduct effective and efficient research using conventional sources, the Internet, and computer-assisted legal research.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in legal research and writing.

• Write clearly and concisely about legal research and writing using proper writing mechanics.