Also known as: resolve · resolves · resolved · resolving · resolutions · formal decision · legislative resolution
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
2 senses
A formal expression of opinion, policy, or decision adopted by a legislative body or corporate board. It declares a position or authorizes action without the full force of a statute or bylaw unless presented and approved as required.
The determination or settlement of a legal dispute, claim, or issue. It ends uncertainty by deciding rights, returning property, or concluding litigation through agreement, adjudication, or other process.
Each sense below has its own examples, sources, and questions.
A formal expression of opinion, policy, or decision adopted by a legislative body or corporate board. It declares a position or authorizes action without the full force of a statute or bylaw unless presented and approved as required.
Ryan Roberts, a House member, introduces a joint resolution raising taxes on imported goods. The House passes it and sends it to the Senate, which proposes amendments before concurrence. The final version reaches the President for signature or veto under the required process.
Raymond Ramos and other shareholders approve a shareholder agreement that shifts deadlock-breaking authority to an independent arbiter. The provision allows the designated person to decide contested corporate matters when directors cannot agree.
A resolution requires the same bicameral passage and presentment to the President as a bill when it expresses the will of both houses, except on adjournment questions. Failure to follow this process prevents it from taking effect as law.
Shareholders may adopt an agreement transferring authority to decide deadlocked issues to one or more designated persons, allowing resolution without further board action.
The determination or settlement of a legal dispute, claim, or issue. It ends uncertainty by deciding rights, returning property, or concluding litigation through agreement, adjudication, or other process.
Rosalind Reed produces emails in litigation that her counsel later claims are privileged. Upon notice, opposing counsel immediately sequesters the materials, stops review, and seeks court guidance rather than using the information while the claim remains pending.
Rosa Ruiz receives settlement proceeds claimed by both her client and a third-party lienholder. She deposits the funds in a separate account and distributes only the undisputed portion while the competing interests await resolution.
Roland Rhodes, a voter, sues state officials over district lines that dilute his vote. The court applies the six-factor test and finds no political-question bar, allowing adjudication of the equal-protection claim on the facts presented.
Roberto Reyes sues in State A over a land transfer executed in State B. The court applies its own procedural rules to pleadings and joinder while selecting State B law for capacity and validity questions under issue-by-issue analysis.
The receiving party must promptly return, sequester, or destroy the information and copies, refrain from use or disclosure until the claim is resolved, and take reasonable steps to retrieve any previously disclosed copies.
A lawyer must keep the property separate until the dispute is resolved and may distribute only the portions as to which the interests are not in dispute.
Courts examine six factors including textual commitment to another branch, lack of judicial standards, need for policy determinations, respect for coordinate branches, adherence to prior political decisions, and risk of multifarious pronouncements.
…responsible to the President than to any other citizen. It provides that he shall receive from the President all bills, orders, resolutions and votes of the Senate and House which have been approved and signed, cause them to be published and distributed, carefully preserve the originals and cause them to be recorded. It…
…it, and to its life as yet denies all protection." Id. , at 75-76. The Committee then offered, and the Association adopted, resolutions protesting "against such unwarrantable destruction of human life," calling upon state legislatures to revise their abortion laws, and requesting the cooperation of state medical societies…
…question. This has led to an enhanced understanding of the issue—an understanding reflected in the arguments now presented for resolution as a matter of constitutional law. Of course, the Constitution contemplates that democracy is the appropriate process for change, so long as that process does not abridge fundamental…
…This discussion and our own investigation convince us that, although these sources cast some light, it is not enough to resolve
…for certiorari before judgment (No. 73-1834) because of the public importance of the issues presented and the need for prompt resolution
Yes, courts may decide issues such as procedure under forum law while applying another state's law to substantive questions like capacity or validity when the issues would be resolved differently under the laws of interested states.