black letter law

Definition

Legal principles so well-established and universally accepted that they're essentially carved in stone. The stuff you can cite without a judge rolling their eyes at you.

Example Usage

The requirement for consideration in contracts is black letter law—no need to overthink it.

Origin

Named after the bold, Gothic typeface used in old law books to emphasize fundamental principles

Fun Fact

Law students love black letter law because it's one of the few things in legal education with a definitive answer.

Source: Legal education and case law terminology

Related Terms

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good faith

An implied obligation in contracts to deal honestly and fairly with the other party, not exploiting technicalities or acting like a cartoon villain. It's a vague concept that somehow judges always know when you've violated.

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probate

The legal bureaucratic nightmare that unfolds after someone dies, where courts verify that a will is legitimate and oversee the distribution of assets. It's essentially a government-mandated waiting period where lawyers get paid to shuffle papers while heirs anxiously check their bank accounts. Think of it as the final boss level of estate planning.

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remand

When an appellate court sends a case back to the lower court for further proceedings, essentially telling them 'you messed this up, try again.' It's the judicial equivalent of 'see me after class.'

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double jeopardy

The constitutional protection against being tried twice for the same crime after acquittal or conviction, preventing the government from getting infinite do-overs until it wins. It's why you can't be retried just because the prosecutor had a bad day.

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lawsuit

The civilized alternative to settling disputes with pitchforks and torches, where disagreeing parties ask a judge (and possibly a jury) to decide who's right using an absurdly expensive process involving lawyers, paperwork, and years of your life. It's basically formalized arguing with filing fees. The grown-up version of 'I'm telling Mom' except Mom wears a robe and has a gavel.

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bias

A preexisting inclination toward or against something that clouds objective judgment, like wearing prejudice-tinted glasses to a trial. In legal contexts, it's the thing that gets jurors dismissed and judges recused, because theoretically justice should be blind, not playing favorites. Everyone has biases, but lawyers spend considerable energy pretending they can eliminate them from the courtroom.

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