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LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

construe

Read a random definition: amicus brief

A quick definition of construe:

Term: Construe

Definition: Construe means to figure out what a written document (like a law or court decision) means by following the rules of legal interpretation. In the United States, it's the job of the courts to construe the law and decide what it means. There are two main ways judges interpret the law: by looking at the purpose of the law or by focusing only on the words of the law. Judges use different tools to help them figure out what the law means, like looking at the plain meaning of the words, the context of the law, and how it's been enforced in the past.

A more thorough explanation:

Definition: To construe means to figure out what a written document (like a law or court decision) means based on the rules of legal interpretation. In the U.S. government, it's the job of the courts to construe what the law is. This means that judges have to decide what the law means, but they can't make new laws. There are two main ways that judges interpret laws: purposivism and textualism. Purposivists think that judges should interpret laws in a way that helps achieve the law's purpose, while textualists think that judges should only look at the words of the law itself.

Examples: Let's say that there's a law that says "No vehicles in the park." If someone gets in trouble for riding their bike in the park, a judge would have to construe what the law means. They might look at the plain meaning of the words "no vehicles" and decide that bikes count as vehicles. Or they might look at the context of the law and decide that it was only meant to apply to cars and trucks. They might also look at the legislative history of the law to see if there were any clues about what the lawmakers meant. Finally, they might look at how the law has been enforced in the past to see if there are any patterns.

Explanation: Construing a law is like trying to solve a puzzle. Judges have to look at all the pieces (like the words of the law, the context, and the history) to figure out what the puzzle is supposed to look like. The examples show how judges might use different tools to figure out what a law means. For example, looking at the plain meaning of the words is like looking at the picture on the puzzle box. Looking at the context is like looking at the other pieces around the one you're trying to place. Looking at the legislative history is like looking at the instructions that came with the puzzle. And looking at how the law has been enforced is like looking at other completed puzzles to see if they look similar.

constructive trust | consulate

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13:38
love you too bby
glovediedthisishismom
13:42
what if desantis appoints lara trump and matt gaetz to be floridas senators
Dkk
13:42
Sounds good to me
HopefullyInLawSchool
13:43
@glovediedthisishismom: What if he appoint Ym instead?
HELP
every damn opportunity
13:47
do schools straight reject people from ed or to they always ed-rd if its a no for ED?
HopefullyInLawSchool
13:48
Some schools rject
13:49
Thanks! I couldn't find any reddit thread about it lol
13:49
but just means now I have to wait for the rejection from Davis
glovediedthisishismom
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i just wanna rock
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bodyadaya
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let it rock
14:17
How are the vibes heading into thanksgiving yall?
HopefullyInLawSchool
14:17
@Law-Guy Im feeling kinda happy I applied YM to UCI hoping it helps (:
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Cornell
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@HopefullyinLawSchool What's YM?
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oh no
HopefullyInLawSchool
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you mom
WorthlessAttractiveZombie
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Ouch
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your*
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I fear I realized too late
babycat
14:20
another victim claimed
concorde
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pwned
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Might have to send in addendums for that
Dkk
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No wave, so sad.
WorthlessAttractiveZombie
14:28
What are the odds that berk releases later today?
babycat
14:28
@Dkk: And here I thought you were a prophet. Smh.
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