Sources of Law and Types of Authority

Something to consider as you embark on this new field of study is where laws originate and how they are followed. Laws come from different sources – primary sources and secondary sources. Most often, it is a review of a combination of both primary and secondary sources that will help lawyers understand the law on a topic in a particular jurisdiction.

Once you know about primary authority and secondary authority. It is important to determine which authority a court must follow (mandatory authority) and which authority a court may choose to follow even though it is not mandated to do so (persuasive authority).