Legal Definitions - slip decision

A slip decision (also known as a slip opinion) is the initial, unedited version of a court's written ruling or judgment. When a court makes a decision, it prepares a written document explaining its reasoning and the outcome. The slip decision is the very first public release of this document.

Think of it as the preliminary official version. While it contains the complete legal reasoning and final judgment, it has not yet undergone final proofreading or formatting for inclusion in official, bound legal reporters. Minor corrections, such as typographical errors or citation formatting, may be made before the decision is published in its final, official form. However, the substance of the ruling remains unchanged from the slip decision.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• High-Profile Supreme Court Case: Imagine the U.S. Supreme Court issues a landmark ruling on a highly anticipated constitutional issue. Within minutes of the decision being announced, the Court's website posts the "slip decision." Journalists, legal scholars, and the public immediately download and analyze this document to understand the Court's reasoning and the impact of the ruling. Even though this version might later have a few page numbers adjusted or a minor typo corrected before appearing in the official U.S. Reports, the core legal analysis and outcome are fully present in the slip decision.

  This illustrates how the slip decision serves as the immediate public record of a court's ruling, allowing for prompt dissemination and analysis.

• State Appellate Court Ruling: A state court of appeals hears a complex case involving a dispute between two corporations over a contract. Once the judges have deliberated and reached a conclusion, their written opinion is released as a slip decision. The attorneys for both companies receive this document right away. They can then immediately inform their clients of the court's decision, explain the legal reasoning, and begin planning their next steps, such as whether to appeal further or comply with the ruling, based on this initial, official release.

  This example shows how the slip decision provides immediate, actionable information to the parties involved, even before the opinion is finalized for formal publication.

• Federal District Court Order: A federal district judge issues an order granting or denying a motion in a civil lawsuit. This order, which explains the judge's reasoning for their decision on the motion, is first released as a slip decision. The court clerk sends this document to all parties in the case. While it might not be published in a bound volume like an appellate decision, it is still considered a "slip decision" in that it's the first, official, and complete version of the judge's ruling, subject only to minor administrative edits.

  Here, the slip decision represents the definitive, initial statement of the court's ruling on a specific matter within a case, guiding the litigation process forward.