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Simple English definitions for legal terms

Obiter dictum

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A quick definition of Obiter dictum:

Obiter dictum is a Latin term that means "something said in passing." It refers to comments or observations made by a judge in a court opinion that are not necessary to decide the case. These comments are not legally binding on other courts, but they can be used as persuasive authority in future cases. Sometimes, judges make comments about hypothetical situations or other cases, and these comments are called dicta. Legal scholars sometimes disagree about what counts as dicta and what is binding precedent. Even though dicta are not necessary to decide a case, they can still be useful and important for future cases.

A more thorough explanation:

Term: Obiter dictum
Definition: Obiter dictum is a Latin term that means "something said in passing." It refers to a comment, suggestion, or observation made by a judge in an opinion that is not necessary to resolve the case. These comments are not legally binding on other courts, but they can be cited as persuasive authority in future litigation. Obiter dictum can also be referred to as dicta, dictum, or judicial dicta. A dissenting opinion is also generally considered obiter dictum.
Examples: In a court case, a judge may make a comment about a hypothetical situation that is not relevant to the case at hand. This comment is considered obiter dictum. For example, in the case of Trump v. Hawaii, Chief Justice John Roberts made a comment about a previous case that was not necessary to resolve the current case. He said, "Korematsu was gravely wrong the day it was decided, has been overruled in the court of history, and—to be clear—'has no place in law under the Constitution' 323 U.S., at 248 (Jackson, J., dissenting)." This comment was not necessary to resolve the case, but it may be cited as persuasive authority in future litigation.
Obiter dictum can be valuable because it can be incorporated into later opinions and sometimes even serve as the basis of those opinions. For example, in the United States v. Carolene Products case, Justice Harlan F. Stone made a suggestion in Footnote 4 that a legal rule more stringent than the rational basis test be applied in hypothetical, future situations. This suggestion eventually served as the basis for the doctrine of strict scrutiny.

Obiter dicta | object

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questionnnnnn - does anyone know what it means if you got the first feeler from gulc last week? can't tell if its something generic or something to get hopes up for.
16:22
For those accepted by the University of Utah in the past week--can you share when their published seating fee deadline is? I know the first one was April 15th...? THX!
MrThickRopes
18:28
Fo pm gon be a movviiiiieeee tmrw
MrThickRopes
18:29
I can feeeeeel iiiiit
18:48
@WinnieCOgirl: The Seat Deposit & Enrollment Certification form (due on 05/02/2025) The Seat Deposit (due on 05/02/2025)
rejected on a saturday GG
MrThickRopes
19:49
Did u get rejected fo pm ?
good question i panic checked, do most decisions drop at 4?
i have no clue i checked at 10pm
@ObeseDisagreeableDevil: just generic sent to all
that's what I thought fancy
MrThickRopes
21:37
it all comes at fo
MrThickRopes
21:38
everything
MrThickRopes
21:38
fo pm
21:43
i need advice about undergrad and gpa, can someone help
MrThickRopes
22:33
ok
MrThickRopes
22:33
hit me
22:53
i know its hard to know because I haven't taken LSAT yet, but Im going to graduate with a 3.4. Idk if id write an addendum for my gpa because i just slacked off for a lot of college unfortunately. Plan is to start studying for lsat in October, and then take a gap year to get WE. T14 isn't even on my radar, but from people who know and understand the admission process better probably, am i cooked at even getting into a T50. I know lsat score is huge but reading people get rejected while having 3.8+ is anxiety inducing
23:25
@Sagamore: you can do applicant search to get closer results but there are plenty of ppl with a 3.3-3
23:25
3.4 that got into t50s-t20s (sorry i pressed send early)
23:26
i would just focus on maximizing ur lsat score
we always talk about fo pm but never about fo am
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[] ararara
3:14
Don’t know if I’m about to make things worse but hang in there! If you’re stressed out get to your nearest trampoline and start jumping! It’s better than therapy! Hopefully you’re under some stars!
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