court opinion
Judge's written reasoning
A court opinion is the written explanation a judge or panel of judges issues to explain their decision in a case.
It sets out the legal reasoning, interprets relevant law, and applies it to the facts at hand.
Opinions from higher courts establish precedent that guides future cases: The Supreme Court's opinion in Brown v. Board of Education transformed American education.
Judges who disagree may write dissenting opinions; those who agree but for different reasons write concurring opinions.
- rulingFormal legal determination
- verdictOfficial court decision
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- decisionSettled course of action
- majorityOver half of total
concurrence · precedent · case law · oral argument · bench · gavel · robe · justice · appellate · briefing · legal · binding · written · published · landmark · overturned · upheld · reasoning
- court recordscase files, case file, sworn testimony, filing date, trial transcript
- legal documentscontract, affidavit, deed, will, subpoena
- case lawbinding precedent, judicial decisions, landmark case, legal judgments, landmark cases
- court documentsbrief, complaint, complaints, docket, pleading
- legal writingslegal brief, law review, legal analysis, appellate brief, legal memo
- judgmentsjudgment call, judge, moral judgment, criticize, value judgment
court opiniondicta
Authoritative statements
legal brief · executive order · advisory opinion · policy statement · treatise
court, opinion, courts, courted, courting, courtly, courtier, courtiers, courtesy