Administrative law encompasses laws and legal principles governing the administration and regulation of government agencies (both Federal and State). Such agencies are delegated power by Congress (or in the case of a state agency, the state legislature) to act as agents for the executive. Generally, administrative agencies are created to protect a public interest rather than to vindicate private rights.

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law.

Administrative law, commonly called regulatory law, is created and enforced by an administrative body, i.e., Department of Labor, the Federal Communications Commission, or the President. Depending on whether the agency is executive, legislative or independent will determine from whom it derives its power to issue regulations and its right to enforce them.

An administrative law judge (ALJ) in the United States is an official who presides at an administrative trial-type hearing to resolve a dispute between a government agency and someone affected by a decision of that agency.

Administrative Law: basically procedural. Each agency is responsible for a particular body of substantive law, but certain procedural principles apply to all agencies.

This tutorial will introduce you to the topic of administrative law research. If you plan to work in a regulatory practice, the skills covered in this training session will be essential to your research.

This site was designed to facilitate the exchange of information about federal and state administrative law among legislators, lawyers, hearing officers, judges, and citizens. While much of the original material is now available from other sources, the ABA Administrative Procedure Database Archive provides access to resources not readily available elsewhere.

Columbus discovered America, but it was sitting here a long time before he found it. The same is true of the recent discovery of administrative law. Even though many politicians have only discovered it in the last few years, administrative law has been around a long time.

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).

The conservative columnist Joseph Sobran has a lecture on audio tape called "How Tyranny Came to America." This seems like a shocking and absurd claim. How could anyone believe that "tyranny" exists in America? Sobran must be some kind of extremist nut.

Federal administrative agencies are given existence and powers by the Congress through enabling legislation. These agencies, in turn, promulgate administrative regulations which, if promulgated within the authority given the agency by its enabling legislation, have the force and effect of law.