What is the word for the kind of thing that legal laws can apply to?
I believe that the word you're looking for is jurisprudence which is defined as:
The philosophy, science, and study of law and decisions based on the interpretation thereof.
Quoting from "Natural Law And Laws of Nature in Early Modern Europe: Jurisprudence, Theology, Moral And Natural Philosophy":
From then on, the basic underlying differences between the laws of jurisprudence and the laws of natural science could no longer be overlooked.
I would generally call this the "laws of the land" but this is not a formal term.