The article analyzes the category of "legal means" and notes the insufficient development of its content in modern legal doctrine. It is shown that the prevalence of a normative or activity-based approach leads to a one-sided understanding of this category. The article substantiates the dualistic nature of legal means, which simultaneously act as normative provisions (legal means) and as actions of a subject (means-actions). The article concludes that it is necessary to apply an integrative approach that takes into account the relationship between norms, actions, and goals