Reference
Definitions from Case Law · United States Supreme Court
Definitions from Case Law
From 584 U.S. 709 - Lamar, Archer & Cofrin, LLP v. Appling · 2018Most cited · 86 citing opinions
the capability or character of alluding to or bearing on or directing attention to something," and is the equivalent of "relation" and "respect."
Id., at 1907.
How the Supreme Court has restated “Reference”
Each Supreme Court definition of “Reference,” sized by how often later courts cited it. “Change” is measured by wording overlap with earlier definitions — a rough signal, not a semantic judgment.
How often courts cite the cases defining “Reference”
Court decisions citing the 3 opinions that defined “Reference” — 97 in all, by decade. Counts are citations to the defining cases as a whole, not verified uses of the term. The dip in the most recent years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the latest years.
All 3 definitions, chronological · 1785–2018
- ORIGINAL
The merits of the cause are solely submitted to them, as judges of the parties own chusing, and are not afterward; enquired into by the Court, unless there should appear a plain mistake of the law or fact.
referrees under rule of court
The determination of causes by Referees under a rule of Court, has been found a practice of such general convenience and utility, for the speedy and equitable decision of controversies depending in the Courts of law... in this mode of trial, the Referees are not tied down by the strict rules of law, but may decide as the equity of the case may appear, and in some sort supply our want of a Court of Chancery.
Referees under rule of court