Administrative law is the law of government. Administrative law controls much of the organization
and internal function of government agencies, including the courts and the police, and to a less
extent the legislature. Public health is the classic government service, and it is a key
administrative law practice area.[Richards, EP and Rathbun KC, "Public Health Law," in Public
Health and Preventive Medicine, edited by Robert B. Wallace (Maxey, Roseneau, and Last),
Appleton and Lange (1998) 1147-1154] The basic practice of administrative law is by government
agencies and individuals or corporations who are regulated by governmental agencies or who want
to influence governmental agencies. While some administrative law is practiced in the courtroom,
most is outside the courtroom. The key difference is that the courtroom depends on two
adversaries to present the case. Administrative law attempts to cure two flaws in the adversary
system. The first flaw in the courtroom adversary system is that cases are often decided on the
skills or monetary resources of the adversaries, not the facts. The second is that no one is
representing society, so that cases are often decided in ways that benefit one party but hurt
society.
