The U.S. Constitution limits the powers of the federal government, in theory at least, and those powers not expressly delegated to the United States are reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment. In practice, the scope of federal power is a hotly contested issue among politicians and in the courts. The existence of 50 separate state legal systems does not necessarily mean that there are wide discrepancies among these systems. In some areas of law, particularly those related to such explosive issues as abortion or capital punishment, there are significant differences among the states. By and large, however, most differences are relatively minor.
States look to each others' experiences in grappling with social issues.
Similar concerns are addressed in each state, and often similar conclusions are reached. The difference is in the details. Adverse possession exists in all jurisdictions, but the period after which ownership vests in the possessor can be as short as 2 years or as long as 60 years. Researching state law is generally similar to researching federal law. It involves many of the same processes and similar tools, statutory codes, court reports, online databases, CD-ROMs, and Web sites.