I learned that there was an elite group, a class that shared certain assumptions and values, and made basic decisions without offering them to anyone as a choice. Its members held controlling positions in government, in law firms, in the courts and in the law schools. They were mostly male lawyers from Ivy League schools - all top notch achievers. Although they were fiercely competitive and gave the appearances of representing many different sides of the issues of the day, it gradually dawned on me that the values they shared, rather than those they debated, represented the true decisions that governed the country.
American law can be federal or state, depending on the subject matter of the law.
The power to write laws in the USA has been divvied-up in the American Constitution. So, some legal issues can be described and the information would apply from Bangor to San Diego. If you can't find what you're looking for here, try the USA-wide Law Pages . But other matters are subject to state laws and, as such, may vary from state to state. On this page, you will find those articles which discuss the law as it applies only to South Dakota.