Legal Definitions - Federal Reporter Third Series

The Federal Reporter Third Series, commonly abbreviated as F.3d, is a specific collection of published legal opinions from the United States Courts of Appeals. These courts are part of the federal judiciary, sitting just below the U.S. Supreme Court. When a U.S. Court of Appeals issues a written decision, particularly one that establishes a new legal principle or interprets existing law, that decision is often published in the Federal Reporter Third Series, making it accessible for future reference by lawyers, judges, and legal researchers.

Here are some examples illustrating the use and significance of the Federal Reporter Third Series:

• Example 1: Citing Precedent in a New Case

  A lawyer is representing a client in a federal lawsuit concerning a novel question of intellectual property law. To support her argument, she finds a previous ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that addressed a similar legal issue. She would cite this prior decision, for instance, as "Smith v. Jones, 345 F.3d 678 (9th Cir. 2003)" in her legal brief. This citation tells the court that the relevant precedent can be found in volume 345 of the Federal Reporter Third Series, starting on page 678, and was decided by the Ninth Circuit in 2003.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates how the Federal Reporter Third Series serves as the authoritative source for published appellate court decisions. Lawyers rely on these volumes to find and cite binding or persuasive legal precedent, which are prior court rulings that guide current cases.

• Example 2: Legal Research by a Law Student

  A law student is writing a research paper on the evolution of environmental regulations under the Clean Water Act. She needs to understand how federal appellate courts have interpreted specific provisions of the Act over time. She uses an online legal database to search for relevant cases and frequently encounters citations to the Federal Reporter Third Series. For instance, she might find a case like "United States v. Acme Corp., 123 F.3d 456 (2d Cir. 1998)", which provides a key interpretation from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

  Explanation: This illustrates how the Federal Reporter Third Series is a fundamental resource for legal research. It allows students, academics, and practitioners to trace the development of legal principles and understand how appellate courts have applied statutes and constitutional provisions in various contexts.

• Example 3: A Judge Reviewing a Lower Court's Decision

  A federal district court judge is presiding over a case where one party has filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the plaintiff's claim is barred by a previous appellate court ruling. The judge needs to verify the exact language and reasoning of that prior ruling to determine if it indeed applies to the current case. The judge would look up the cited case in the Federal Reporter Third Series to read the full opinion from the relevant U.S. Court of Appeals, ensuring a correct application of the law.

  Explanation: This example highlights the role of the Federal Reporter Third Series in judicial decision-making. Judges frequently refer to these published opinions to ensure consistency in the application of federal law and to understand the binding precedents established by higher appellate courts within their jurisdiction.