caselaw
Court-made legal rules
Case law is the body of law established by judicial decisions rather than by statutes or constitutions.
When courts interpret laws and settle disputes, their rulings become precedents that guide future cases.
Also spelled as two words: case law.
Legally or morally required
- persuasiveAble to convince others
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- holdingsProperty one owns
- rulingsAuthoritative decisions on matters
decisions · opinions · rationale · dissenting · concurring · majority · reversal · affirmation
Judicial proceedings chamber
- benchShared seating surface
- tribunalJudicial decision-making body
- judgeOne who decides
- magistrateCivil judicial officer
jurist · jurisdiction · litigation · plaintiff · defendant · appellate · docket · verdict
Mention of a source
- LexisNexisLegal and news database
- headnotesPrefatory case summaries
- annotationsExplanatory additions to documents
- digestsProcesses food chemically
reporters · treatises · legal briefs · keywords · legal database · court records · filings · dockets
Philosophy governing legal systems
- legal principlesFundamental rules of jurisprudence
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- textualismInterpreting law literally
- originalismInterpreting by founding-era meaning
judicial review · substantive · procedural · equitable · remedies · judge-made · legal reasoning · canon
Required by rule
- hierarchicalOrganized by rank
- jurisdictionalConcerning legal authority bounds
- enforceableAble to be upheld
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
weight · deference · supremacy · constitutional · federal · state · tribal
binding
Legally or morally required
- persuasiveAble to convince others
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- holdingsProperty one owns
rulings · decisions · opinions · rationale · dissenting · concurring · majority · reversal · affirmation · overruled
courtroom
Judicial proceedings chamber
magistrate · jurist · jurisdiction · litigation · plaintiff · defendant · appellate · docket · verdict · judgment
citation
Mention of a source
- LexisNexisLegal and news database
- headnotesPrefatory case summaries
- annotationsExplanatory additions to documents
digests · reporters · treatises · legal briefs · keywords · legal database · court records · filings · dockets · unpublished
jurisprudence
Philosophy governing legal systems
- legal principlesFundamental rules of jurisprudence
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- textualismInterpreting law literally
originalism · judicial review · substantive · procedural · equitable · remedies · judge-made · legal reasoning · canon · normative
mandatory
Required by rule
- hierarchicalOrganized by rank
- jurisdictionalConcerning legal authority bounds
- enforceableAble to be upheld
legitimacy · weight · deference · supremacy · constitutional · federal · state · tribal
caselawstatutory law
Legislature-made legal rules
legislation · statute law · statutes · constitutional law · executive orders