Warning

Info

Warning

Info

Warning

Info

LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

originalism

Read a random definition: prove up

A quick definition of originalism:

Originalism is a way of understanding the law, especially the U.S. Constitution. It means that we should interpret the words in the Constitution the way people understood them when they were written a long time ago. We can figure out what the words meant by looking at what the people who wrote them said and did, and by looking at other old documents. Some people think this is the best way to understand the Constitution, while others think the Constitution can change and mean different things over time.

A more thorough explanation:

Originalism is a way of interpreting legal texts, like the U.S. Constitution, that says we should understand them the way people did when they were written. This means we should look at what the people who wrote the text meant, and what people at the time understood it to mean. We can figure this out by looking at things like debates, dictionaries, and other legal documents from that time.

For example, if we were trying to understand what the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution means, an originalist would look at what people at the time thought it meant. They might look at debates from when the amendment was written, or at other laws from that time that used similar language. They would try to figure out what the people who wrote the amendment meant when they said "the right to bear arms."

Originalism is different from another way of interpreting legal texts called "living constitutionalism." Living constitutionalism says that the Constitution can change over time, and that we should interpret it in light of modern values and ideas. Originalism says that we should stick to the original meaning of the text, even if it doesn't match up with modern values.

original work of authorship | origination fee

Warning

Info

General

General chat about the legal profession.
main_chatroom
👍 Chat vibe: 0 👎
Help us make LSD better!
Tell us what's important to you
THATS SO FUNNY
i cant i would go crazy
JumpySubsequentDolphin
20:50
i need to know who decided to do that.
JumpySubsequentDolphin
20:50
omg im on a plane weeeee
the devil
youre on a plane??? LSD made the mile high club??
20:50
yo splitterus are you in school already
20:50
it says ur c/o 2027
JumpySubsequentDolphin
20:51
@SplitterusClitterus: HAHAH yes
ur user is hilarioussss and no i just graduated this may and am now applying ---also im out of messages so ill take a lil
20:52
roger dat. see u in heck
im back, r u applying this cycle too
JumpySubsequentDolphin
21:32
this child fell asleep on me
JumpySubsequentDolphin
21:32
im so uncomfortable
just push him off the entire seat
JumpySubsequentDolphin
21:34
LMAOOOO
JumpySubsequentDolphin
21:35
no he’s literally like 8 and he fully just put his head on my bicep and slept
JumpySubsequentDolphin
21:35
he has since moved
22:12
@SplitterusClitterus: me yesterday
gulc baby pls text me back... i miss you ...... :(
22:23
i just went into a discord vc and yelled "YALL I JUST GOT INTO J.M. SCHOOL OF LAW"
22:24
people were getting excited :sob:
22:25
then someone was like "what does jm stand for" and i was like .. well
AHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
@JumpySubsequentDolphin: wait this is so cute, also where r u going
JOE MBIDEN
JumpySubsequentDolphin
22:39
@splitty Oregon!
oh yay for what thats so random
JumpySubsequentDolphin
22:45
haha my brother and sister in law live there
so cutie oregon is beatiful
LSD+ is ad-free, with DMs, discounts, case briefs & more.