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Simple English definitions for legal terms

on all fours

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A quick definition of on all fours:

Term: on all fours

Definition: When lawyers talk about a case being "on all fours," they mean that it is very similar to another case that has already been decided. It's like when an animal walks on all four legs. If a case is "on all fours," it can be used as a good example for how to decide the new case. This is important because it helps judges make fair decisions. Sometimes, the facts in the new case don't have to be exactly the same as the old case, but they have to be similar enough that everyone can understand what the law is supposed to be.

A more thorough explanation:

Definition: "On all fours" is a phrase used by lawyers to describe a previous case that has very similar facts and issues to the current case. It means that the two cases are so similar that the previous case can be used as a legal precedent for the current case.

For example, if a court is deciding a case where a person was injured in a car accident, they might look at a previous case where someone was injured in a similar car accident. If the facts and issues in the previous case are almost identical to the current case, the previous case is said to be "on all fours" with the current case.

The phrase is often used in cases where the doctrine of qualified immunity is being discussed. Qualified immunity protects government officials from being sued for actions they take while doing their job, as long as those actions don't violate a "clearly established right." If a previous case is "on all fours" with the current case, it can be used to show that the right being violated was clearly established.

For example, if a police officer is being sued for using excessive force during an arrest, the court might look at a previous case where a police officer was sued for using excessive force in a similar situation. If the facts and issues in the previous case are almost identical to the current case, the previous case is said to be "on all fours" with the current case, and can be used to show that the right being violated was clearly established.

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10:38
Very happy with LR other than having to guess on a couple questions cuz of time
10:42
i have a question about my personal statement. in my activism for the hospitality workers' union, i organized and spoke up in favor of stronger regulations on airbnb because the unregulated spread of airbnb throughout LA was inflating housing costs for workers and threatening their job security. do you think it's too divisive to mention regulating airbnb? idk
Nostradumbass
10:44
I wrote mine about how all activists should be consolidated into a large smelting pot and refined down to a viscous goo
Nostradumbass
10:45
Expecting a lot of rejections though
11:07
I'm sure you'll get a full ride to a few schools :P
11:11
The impression I get is most schools try not to judge based on the political implications of what you write about. They probably care more that you saw a problem and tried to fix it. That seems like a great thing to write a PS about @chowie
11:18
Besides, if a school didn’t let you in for trying to fix a problem you saw in your community, that doesn’t say great things about your school’s culture (assuming the thing you did showed good common sense judgment ofc)
11:19
That school’s* culture
11:23
Thanks Howl you're right :D I def talked about solving problems in my PS
12:03
@HowlEngineer: what's your dream school
MildChiller
12:08
"Have you applied for admission to [school] in a prior year" I applied in Oct. of the 23-24 cycle, should I put 23 or 24 as the year I applied?
MildChiller
12:09
Bcuz 2023 is when I technically applied but I applied for admissions in 2024
12:14
2024 cuz that's when you would've been admitted
I agree with Howl
12:19
Gecko what's ur dream school
Hard to say. I'm pretty firmly committed to the philly area so probably temple or villanova
Also relatively debt averse so I'd have to get a good scholarship from BC or Fordham to want to go but that's not very likely for me
Any advice? lol
[] baddestbunny
12:25
what’s a good scholarship for you? what would make BC or Fordham worth it?
12:25
Hmmmm let me think
[] baddestbunny
12:25
fordham’s max aid they give is 45k per year
Bunny I can possibly get a 75%+ scholarship from villanova or temple, and I'd be moving back in with my parents if I went there so I'd have near-zero COL. It'd be really hard to beat that
I would prefer BC over Fordham just because I like boston more, but I'm expecting a WL there tbh
I would maybe consider BC with $ but I don't know how to decide if a better biglaw chance is worth the COL + higher tuition
12:50
How do I know if my status checkers are properly linked
12:59
@ChowieBean: right now, Michigan, but there are several that come close. How about you?
13:05
@Law01: I haven't gotten the status checkers to work at all. When I sent an email to the LSData folks the other week, they said they were working on fixing them
13:10
but I think "Last Checked" would change from "Never" to something else
13:30
@HowlEngineer: I'll get more specific once I get my LSAT score, but NYU, Berk, GTown, UCLA
13:30
Anywhere that's top for PI
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