Federal Administrative Law

Administrative law focuses on the exercise of government authority by the executive branch and its agencies. These agencies are created by Congress through “enabling legislation”, and are authorized to promulgate regulations which have the same force as statutory law. Federal agencies have steadily grown in number and importance in the United States, and affect a wide variety of social issues, such as telecommunications, the financial market, and racial discrimination. The term “administrative law” encompasses the procedures under which these agencies operate, as well as external constraints upon them (such as the Administrative Procedure Act, constitutional limitations, and judicial review).