Legal Definitions - N.Y.S.

N.Y.S. is an abbreviation for New York Supplement.

The New York Supplement is a comprehensive collection of published court decisions from various New York State courts. These volumes contain the written opinions and rulings from courts such as the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court, and other lower courts within New York. It serves as a vital resource for legal professionals, providing a standardized way to access, cite, and understand the specific case law that has shaped legal interpretation and application in New York State.

Here are some examples of how "N.Y.S." is used:

• Legal Research for Precedent: A New York attorney is preparing a legal brief for a client involved in a contract dispute. To strengthen their arguments, they need to find a prior ruling from a New York State court that established a key legal principle relevant to their case. The attorney would search for cases published in the New York Supplement, often encountering citations like "Smith v. Jones, 123 N.Y.S.3d 456 (App. Div. 2021)," which indicates the case's location within the third series of this reporter.

  This example illustrates how "N.Y.S." helps legal professionals efficiently locate specific court decisions that serve as precedent, guiding their legal arguments and understanding of New York law.

• Citing Judicial Opinions: When a New York State judge writes a new court opinion, they frequently refer to and rely on previous decisions to justify their current ruling. For instance, a judge might write, "As established in Matter of Doe, 50 N.Y.S.2d 789 (Sup. Ct. 1950), the standard for evaluating undue influence requires..."

  This example demonstrates that "N.Y.S." is an integral part of legal citations, providing a standardized and precise way for judges and lawyers to refer to specific published court decisions from New York State, ensuring clarity and accuracy in legal arguments and rulings.

• Law Student Case Study: A law student studying New York property law is assigned to read several foundational cases on adverse possession. Their professor's syllabus lists these cases with full citations, such as "Brand v. Prince, 35 N.Y.2d 634, 324 N.Y.S.2d 34 (1974)."

  This example shows how "N.Y.S." appears in academic settings and legal education, guiding students to the specific volumes where they can find the full text of important New York court decisions to learn and analyze legal principles.