OK, bear with me. Think of the law as a tree which, most times, bears the fruit of justice. Think then, if you will, of the roots of that tree as delving into the fertile soil of English common law ...

It's often instructive to compare entries in older and newer versions of Black's Law Dictionary—and on subjects I work on, the older ones are usually better. An example is the entry for equity.

Author’s Note: a longer alternative version of this article with footnotes and instructions for use as an education module is available here. An important question follows. Does the common law’s ...

I suspect that when most people think of the law — if they think of it at all — they conceive of it as wearing a suit and tie, perhaps one with the buttons fastened and the knot cinched overly tight.