Regulations often require interpretation, just as statutes do. Some are written hastily or in an unclear manner. Others are filled with legal jargon, making it difficult for the people affected by them to understand. On top of that, regulations are constantly changing with the addition of amendments that modify their initial intent. In turn, this further increases the difficultly of understanding the current meaning and boundaries of a regulation.
- Review the article, "How Courts Interpret Regulations." Reflect on the challenges of interpreting laws and the role of courts in interpreting regulations.
- Review the assigned pages of Chapter 5 in your course text, Principles of Legal Research. Focus on section 5.4, "State Administrative Materials."
- Using resources mentioned in your course text or one of the websites provided in this week's Learning Resources, find one regulation from your state's body of regulatory or executive orders to use in this Application Assignment.
- Consider what is explicit and what is vague or ambiguous about the regulation as written. Think about how you might interpret the regulation.
- Outline the state regulation you chose.
- Explain how you would interpret the regulation. Be specific.
Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources included in the Learning Resources for this course.