Black Letter Law
Black Letter Law in other One-L Dictionary
Old, fundamental, well settled legal principles free from dispute or doubt.
Black Letter Law from the Washington and Lee University School of Law Dictionary.
What does Black Letter Law mean in American Law?
The definition of Black Letter Law in the law of the United States, as defined by the lexicographer Arthur Leff in his legal dictionary is:
Informal legal locution for the basic principles of law in any field, as in “It is black letter law that without mutual assent there can be no contract.” As the example indicates, much of the time black letter law isn”t very accurate. The term may derive from the practice of printing treatises with boldface summaries at the head of paragraphs, with the finer points relegated to ordinary print.
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What is Black Letter Law?
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Black letter law in the One-L Dictionary
The basic, standard principles of law that are generally known and free from doubt or dispute. Black letter law is not recorded in any one research source, nor is “black letter” a term you will find in most indices. Instead, you will need to research the specific area of law to determine the standard elements. Secondary sources may be your best source for finding the basic elements in a particular field of law.
Note: This Black letter law definition in the One-L Dictionary for new law students is from Harvard Law School (HLS).
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