Administrative Law

DEFINITION

• Administrative Law is the body of law created by administrative agencies in the form of rules, regulations, orders and decisions to carry out the regulatory powers and duties of the agencies.

• Administrative agencies are government entities formed by Congress to implement the policies and procedures of a specific law. Congress creates an agency if it determines that a separate body will best perform certain functions. The policies and procedures are usually complex and require a specific, separate entity to carry them out.

• The codification of federal Administrative Law is contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Updates to the CFR are published daily in the Federal Register. States also have administrative codes, which are codifications of the state's regulations. Updates to state administrative codes are usually also called "registers."

FIND AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW PRACTITIONER IN YOUR AREA.

RELATED PRACTICE AREAS

Employment Law -- Employee
Employment Law -- Employer
Environmental Law
Insurance Law
Health & Health Care Law

BUZZWORDS

• Administrative Law Judge
• Agency
• APA
• CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)
• Federal Register
• Hearing

For more definitions, visit the FindLaw Legal Dictionary.

PRACTICE AREA NOTES

• Attorneys who practice Administrative Law usually practice before an administrative body, such as the (state) Workers' Compensation Appeal Board or the (federal) National Labor Relations Board.
• Administrative Law impacts many legal practice areas, because the regulations that must be followed are promulgated by administrative agencies. Some common examples are Environmental Law (EPA), Telecommunications Law (FCC) and Immigration Law (INS).
• To understand Administrative Law, it's important to understand the difference between a statute and a regulation.
• A statute is an enactment of a legislative body (federal, state, county or city). It is generally referred to as a law. The federal statutes are contained in the United States Code, or U.S.C. It is updated by the federal legislative service, United States Code Congressional & Administrative News (USCC&AN).
• A regulation is issued by an agency or department, such as the EPA, to carry out law intended by Congress. Federal regulations are compiled in the Code of Federal Regulations, or CFR. They are updated in a publication known as the Federal Register.