Judiciary, I

A statute is act of a legislature (whether Congress or a state legislature) that declares, forbids, or commands something; a specific law.  Some references:

• Concise guide to federal statutes.
• Statutes at Large
• US Code
• State statutes
• National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

After Congress passes law, the bureaucracy drafts rules:

• Federal Register
• Code of Federal Regulations

Then the courts may act:

• The Structure
• Guide to Supreme Court decisions
• State courts

The system in practice:

"The Lecture" from Anatomy of a Murder (start at 20:00). They show this scene in law schools.

C-SPAN documentary on the court (start at 36:40)