Warning

Info

Warning

Info

Warning

Info

LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

textualism

Read a random definition: manifestation of intention

A quick definition of textualism:

Textualism is a way of understanding laws that says we should only look at the words in the law itself, and not try to guess what the people who wrote it meant or what they wanted to happen. Even though some people think this way of understanding laws is only for people who are conservative, it can actually lead to fair and equal outcomes for everyone. For example, in a recent court case, a judge used textualism to say that it's not okay to treat people differently at work just because of who they love or how they identify themselves.

A more thorough explanation:

Textualism is a way of interpreting laws that says we should only look at the words of the law itself, and not try to guess what the lawmakers meant or what they were trying to accomplish. This means that we should only use the plain meaning of the words in the law to figure out what it means.

For example, if a law says "no dogs allowed in the park," a textualist would say that means exactly what it says - no dogs are allowed in the park. They wouldn't try to guess why the lawmakers made that rule or what they were trying to accomplish by it.

Some people think that textualism is a conservative approach to the law, because it doesn't take into account the intentions or goals of the lawmakers. However, sometimes applying textualism can lead to surprising or progressive outcomes.

One example of this is the case of Bostock v. Clayton Cnty., which was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. In that case, the court had to decide whether it was legal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who is often seen as a follower of the late Justice Antonin Scalia's textualist approach, wrote the opinion for the court. He argued that the plain meaning of the words in the law that prohibits employment discrimination based on sex also applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This was a surprising and progressive outcome, because many people had assumed that the law only applied to discrimination based on biological sex.

Texas v. Johnson (1989) | TFRP

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
MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
LSD+ is ad-free, with DMs, discounts, case briefs & more.