Also known as: legalese · legalism · legalist · legalistic · legality · legalize · legalized · legalizing · legally · lawful
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Of or relating to law. Matters fall within this category when they are established, required, or permitted by law or when they concern law as opposed to equity.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Laura Lewis signed a contract to purchase land from Luke Latham. Before closing the house burned down. Under the majority rule Laura bears the loss and must pay the full price because equitable conversion treats her as owner from contract formation. Luke holds legal title only as trustee for Laura.
Liam Larson filed a complaint containing a novel theory of liability. The court examined whether the legal contentions were warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for changing the law. Because the argument was nonfrivolous the pleading satisfied the certification requirement.
Lucia Lopez offered a transcript of a deposition taken in an earlier case. The declarant was unavailable. The court admitted the testimony because it had been given at a lawful deposition in a different proceeding and the party against whom it was offered had a similar motive to develop it.
Judge Leah Lamb drafted estate-planning documents for a paying client outside her family. The judicial conduct commission charged her with violating the prohibition on practicing law. The commission disciplined her because the rule bars judges from providing compensated legal services to non-family members.
Lamar Lewis left government service with confidential information about a regulated company. He later sought to represent a competitor adverse to that company in a matter where the information could harm the former subject. The ethics board disqualified him under the rule barring use of confidential government information to the material disadvantage of the person.
Lumen Capital authorized its employee to sign purchase orders on its behalf. The employee placed an order with a supplier. The supplier could enforce the contract against Lumen Capital because the employee's acts were done in accordance with the principal's manifestations of consent.
The definition distinguishes law from equity. A matter is legal when it concerns law as opposed to equity.
Supporting sources
A judge violates the rule by providing compensated legal services to non-family members or by serving as a lawyer in any forum for anyone other than acting pro se.
The rule applies to confidential government information obtained under governmental authority that the government is prohibited by law from disclosing and that is not otherwise public.
…by the principles and usages of law.' It is a general principle that a mandamus lies if there be no other adequate, specific, legal remedy. The writ is of extensive remedial nature and issues where the party has a right to have anything done and no other specific means of compelling its performance. Many English cases…