Law is a set of rules created by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior and that are enforceable through coercive force. Law serves many purposes, but the four principal ones are establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting liberties and rights. Some legal systems are better able to serve these purposes than others. For example, an authoritarian government may keep the peace and maintain the status quo, but it may oppress minorities or political opponents (e.g., Burma or Zimbabwe).

Law includes both written and unwritten rules, customary practice, governmental regulation and jurisprudence. It can be applied to a broad range of subjects, such as employment, family and business. The term is also used to refer to a specific field of law, such as labour law, maritime law or medical jurisprudence.

In the history of philosophy, a number of theories have attempted to define law. The utilitarian theory of John Austin is a prominent example. It states that “law is a body of commandments, backed by the threat of sanctions, from a sovereign to whom people have a habit of obedience.” The natural law theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Aquinas is another important approach to the study of law. This theory argues that law is based on an innate morality that is a consequence of the existence of human beings and the natural world.

The field of law has evolved greatly since the time of ancient Greece. It is now a complex and ever-changing area of study that has implications for all aspects of modern life.

Legal topics include the fields of criminal and civil law, criminology, legal history and the philosophy of law. Other fields of legal study focus on the relationship between law and politics, economics, science and religion.

Legal profession and legal studies articles describe the training and background of lawyers and the institutions that form the legal foundation of society. Other articles explore the relationship between law and other social issues, such as anthropology, education and economics. International law and political law articles address the role of law in multinational organizations, the United Nations and globalization. The articles on the nature of law explore how it is created, enforced and changed. They also examine the concept of the rule of law, which entails the principles that law is publicly promulgated and equally enforced, that all citizens are equal before the law and that courts are independent and impartial. These principles are intended to promote a peaceful, democratic and just society. They are also meant to provide a framework for addressing conflicts between nation-states and among those that are not yet members of the United Nations. They are also designed to provide a basis for the development of global standards. The principle of law is a fundamental tenet of the United Nations charter.