Definition of Legal theory

Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal philosophers, hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions. As jurisprudence has developed, there are three main aspects with which scholarly writing engages:

• Natural law is the idea that there are unchangeable laws of nature which govern us, and that our institutions should try to match this natural law.
• Analytic jurisprudence asks questions like, "What is law?" "What are the criteria for legal validity?" or "What is the relationship between law and morality?" and other such questions that legal philosophers may engage.
• Normative jurisprudence asks what law ought to be. It overlaps with moral and political philosophy, and includes questions of whether one ought to obey the law, on what grounds law-breakers might properly be punished, the proper uses and limits of regulation, how judges ought to decide cases.

LAW may refer to:

• Lightweight Anti-tank Weapon, like the M72 LAW (US Army) and the LAW 80 (British Army)
• Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights (also known as LAW)
• League of American Bicyclists, formerly known as the League of American Wheelmen
• Live Action Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion in North Carolina
• Live Audio Wrestling, a professional wrestling call-in show
• Lawyers Are Whimps
• Landywood railway station, England; National Rail station code LAW.

Law is a system of social rules usually enforced through a set of structured institutions. Law affects everyday life and society in a variety of ways. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading swaptions on a derivatives market. Property law defines rights and obligations related to buying, selling, or renting real property such as homes and buildings. Trust law applies to assets held for investment, such as pension funds. Tort law allows claims for compensation when someone or their property is harmed. If the harm is criminalised in a penal code, criminal law offers means by which the state prosecutes and punishes the perpetrator. Constitutional law provides a framework for creating laws, protecting people's human rights, and electing political representatives. administrative law relates to the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. International law regulates affairs between sovereign nation-states in everything from trade to the environment to military action. "The rule of law", wrote the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in 350 BCE, "is better than the rule of any individual."