Verbs That Talk About the Law
What verbs do you use when describing what the courts do? Good legal writers use appropriate verbs to explain case law and statutes.
| The court considered all the arguments… |
| The judge expressed the view that… |
| The court accepted the argument |
| The court rejected the argument … |
| The judge applied the precedent to… |
| The court overruled… |
| The judge stated… |
| The court followed the direction of the Supreme Court… |
| The judge decided… |
| The court ruled… |
| The judge found (a fact) |
| The court held (a point of law) |
| The court felt compelled to find… [you cannot know what the court feels] |
| The judge argued that… [courts do not argue, you do] |
| The judge placed significance on the fact that... [judges consider, not place significance] |
| The court believed the answer to be… [it doesn’t matter what a judge believes] |
| The judge contends that… [judges never contend; they decide or rule] |
| The court proved each element of the test… [courts apply; proving is your job] |
| The judge supported the ruling of the Supreme Court… [followed or applied is more accurate] |
- In a poorly written decision, the court attempted to explain the test...
- The judge timidly refused to acknowledge the constitutional right to…
- The court refused to advance the cause of justice and change the law…
- The judge completely ignored the evidence.
- According to the Supreme Court, there are no reasonable arguments…
- The judge purported to set out a new test…