The Constitution is the founding document for the United States government and is the highest law of the country. The U.S Constitution is the backbone of the legal system which defines the structure of government, guarantees the rights to its citizens and provides the basis on which all American laws are made. No other national laws may disagree with any of the Constitution's ideology and the federal courts have jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution and evaluate the constitutionality of federal and state laws.
Three of the most important features of the U.S. legal system that one should know are: federalism; judicial review; and the administrative agencies.
The first important feature of the U.S. legal system is federalism which is organized by one federal system along with fifty state systems. A second important feature of the U.S. legal system is the judicial review system and the role of appointed judges. The U.S. legal system is known for its system of checks and balances between the three branches of government and the important role the judiciary branch plays as an equal branch. The third feature of the U.S. legal system is the important role of administrative agencies in the daily enforcement of law and justice.
One of the most notable changes in the in the U.S. legal system in this decade has been the growth of administrative agencies in the wake of the September 11 tragedy. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is one of the agencies experiencing the largest increase as it works to keep our country safe. One of the ways DHS has impacted business is by working to provide a system of employment verification to aid employers to verify the employment status of America’s labor force. DHS has established the E-Verify section on their website “E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers,
References: http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/070711washingtondc.htm