Free · An interactive map
The Map of Legal Ideas
Law is a web of ideas that lean on each other. Every territory below is an area of law. Open one, click a term to read it, and follow its links to the ideas it depends on, then on to our articles, lessons and case briefs about it.
Guided tours: let the map tell a story
Loading the map…
How to use the map
- Choose an area of law, or search for a term.
- Click a term to read it. Its links light up.
- Follow a link to a connected idea, even in another area, or open our articles, lessons and case briefs on it.
How are two ideas connected?
Things to try
- Search consideration and follow its links outwards: what does it depend on, and what depends on it?
- Ask how offer connects to expectation damages, and read each step on the way.
- Look at the golden bridges between the areas: they show where the law’s subjects lean on each other most.
- Open any area, click a term, then open its dictionary entry or the articles, lessons and case briefs we have on it.
How to read it
Solid lines are links we wrote ourselves: the “see also” connections in the Legal Dictionary. Dashed lines are suggestions found by comparing the wording of two definitions; they point to terms that talk about similar things, and they are hints, not statements of law. A bigger territory holds more terms; the golden bridges join areas whose terms our dictionary links to each other.
The map runs in your browser, and nothing you do on it is sent anywhere.
Educational tool. The definitions explain general legal terminology and are not legal advice; exact meanings and requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Teaching? Share this with your class
Free to use in class. The free parts open for everyone, no account needed.