The United States has different levels for the law, which are codified and uncodified and under the supremacy of the United states Constitution. The foundation of all laws is the federal government of the United States. The federal law implements on the 50 U.S. states, but there are also state laws which abide full authority to the federal government due to the dual-sovereign system in American Federalism.
While Federal Law is created at the national level for all the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, State law varies in each state and is only applicable to that specific state for which it is created. If there is a conflict between state law and federal law, the state law holds more prominence. State law can offer more rights to its citizens, but it is not supposed to demarcate the value of rights offered by federal law.
Federal Law
While both the sides holds a separate state of importance, federal law is always considered to be of higher authority in terms of taking major decisions. Federal law undertakes rights such as:
Immigration Law: It grants the right to an immigrant to enter the country for a specific period. It also controls the process of providing the rights of an immigrant to become a citizen of the United States.
Bankruptcy Law: The bankruptcy code provides the rights to the creditor to sell the debtors property to discharge them from the debt permanently if a person goes bankrupt.
Social Security and supplemental Security Income (SSI) laws: This law provides benefits to the disabled who have limited source of income and resources. The benefits of this law are also available to people over the age of 65.
Anti-discrimination law: It protects citizens from racia, age, gender, and disability discrimination.
Patent And Copyright law: It provides citizens with a total right for their products and ideas. The contempt of this law can result in a heavy fine to the government and the patent owner.
Federal Criminal Laws: Tax invasion, possession of weapons, drug crimes, counterfeiting of money are a few of the crimes that are listed in Title 18 of the United States Code.
State Law
There are 50 states and multiple commonwealth territories within the U.S. which have their own laws and courts that handle the problems inside of the state. Each state has a system of different laws, but the common most laws include:
Criminal Matters: The state court of Justice handles small criminal matters such as robbery, street crime, possession of weapons.
Family issues: The state handles all the issues involving families. Divorce and property conflicts are handled under state court.
Real State and Business contracts: Issues related to any property conflicts with real estate agents and small business contracts are handled.
Medical Malpractice and Accidents: The road accidents and medical carelessness can be taken to state courts for justice.
Although the laws are the same, the judgment is at the risk of either State or the federal government.