What are the different types of legal opinions?

Asked by: Prof. Rolando Kunze  |  Last update: October 23, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (40 votes)

Although there are a variety of opinion letters, the most common include the Remedies Opinion (or the Enforceability Opinion), the Non-Consolidation Opinion, and the Entity Status Opinion. 63 Each of these opinions plays an important role in legal opinion practice and is discussed below.

What are the 3 kinds of opinions a court can issue?

Each opinion sets out the Court's judgment and its reasoning and may include the majority or principal opinion as well as any concurring or dissenting opinions.

What are the different opinions in law?

There are several types of court opinions that are used depending on unanimity in opinions and how many justices agree or disagree. These include majority opinions, plurality opinions, concurring opinions, per curiam opinions, and dissenting opinions.

What are the 4 types of opinions the Supreme court has?

This is a breakdown of the structure of a decision, explaining the function and significance of each part.
  • Syllabus. The syllabus is not part of the official opinion of the Court. ...
  • Majority Opinions. ...
  • Plurality Opinions. ...
  • Concurring Opinions. ...
  • Dissenting Opinions. ...
  • Per Curiam Opinions. ...
  • Seriatim Opinions. ...
  • Footnotes in Opinions.

What are the 3 different types of opinions?

  • Majority Opinion. The majority opinion is an appellate opinion supporting the court's judgment (the result reached in the case) which receives a majority vote of the justices or judges hearing the case.
  • Concurring Opinion. ...
  • Dissenting Opinion. ...
  • About Appeals.

Legal Opinion

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What are the 7 types of opinion?

Collective and professional opinions
  • Public opinion. ...
  • Group opinion. ...
  • Scientific opinion. ...
  • Legal opinion. ...
  • Judicial opinion. ...
  • Reasoned opinion. ...
  • Expert report.

What is a judge's opinion called?

With respect to law, “opinion” primarily refers to a judicial opinion, which is a court 's written statement explaining the court's decision for the case .

What does dissent mean in law?

A dissent refers to at least one party's disagreement with the majority opinion . An appellate judge or Supreme Court Justice who writes an opinion opposing the holding is said to write a dissenting opinion .

What is a major difference between a majority opinion and a concurring opinion?

The majority opinion expresses the view shared by more than half of the justices, and explains the rationale supporting the Court's decision. A concurring opinion, is authored by one or more justices, and agrees with the outcome decided by the majority, but state other reasons supporting the outcomes.

What are the 4 elements in citing judicial opinions?

Case citations designate the volume number of the reporter in which the case appears, the name of the reporter, the page on which the case begins, and the year the decision was rendered. Thus, each citation is unique. Cases, or judicial opinions, can be published by more than one publisher.

What is a legal opinion called?

An opinion letter, also called a legal opinion, is a letter issued by a legal counsel that facilitates a lender's due diligence process in a transaction.

What are the seven basic elements of a court opinion?

The main components include the case name, facts, procedural history, issue, holding, reasoning, and rule.

What is the difference between a Supreme Court opinion and Supreme Court dissent?

Explanation: An opinion is a Supreme Court decision that the majority of the judges agree with, while a dissent disagrees with the decision. When the Supreme Court issues a decision, the justices provide their reasoning and explanation in a written document called an opinion.

What is the difference between a court decision and an opinion?

A decision of the court is its judgment; an opinion is the reason given for that judgment.

What are the different types of arguments in court?

Professor Huhn delineates five categories of legal arguments--text, intent, precedent, tradition, and policy--and explains tactics for identifying, creating, evaluating, and critiquing each one through examples from judicial opinions.

What is the rule of four?

The “rule of four” is the Supreme Court's practice of granting a petition for review only if there are at least four votes to do so. The rule is an unwritten internal one; it is not dictated by any law or the Constitution.

What are the 4 types of Supreme Court opinions?

Supreme Court opinions come in various forms, each serving a unique purpose. Majority opinions represent the Court's official decision, while concurring opinions agree with the outcome but offer different reasoning. Dissenting opinions challenge the majority's decision, providing alternative legal interpretations.

Do concurring opinions matter?

Concurring opinions are not binding since they did not receive the majority of the court's support, but they can be used by lawyers as persuasive material. There are some rare circumstances in which the concurring opinion eventually becomes law , such as in Escola v.

What is majority opinion in law?

In law, a majority opinion is a judicial opinion agreed to by more than half of the members of a court. A majority opinion sets forth the decision of the court and an explanation of the rationale behind the court's decision. Not all cases have a majority opinion.

What is dicta in law?

Dicta in law refers to a comment, suggestion, or observation made by a judge in an opinion that is not necessary to resolve the case, and as such, it is not legally binding on other courts but may still be cited as persuasive authority in future litigation. Also referred to as dictum and judicial dicta.

What is the meaning of black dissent?

In this piece, I develop a thesis of “racial dissent,” defined here as the act of speaking against a prevailing norm or principle within a given racial group.

What does "when there are nine" mean?

'When there are nine' means that inclusivity has been woven into the fabric of our culture and no one is questioning a court that happens to have nine female justices. After all, we have not historically questioned a court with nine male justices.

What is a bench opinion?

On days that opinions are announced by the Court from the bench, the text of each opinion is made available immediately to the public and the press in a printed form called a "bench opinion." The bench opinion pamphlet for each case consists of the majority or plurality opinion, any concurring or dissenting opinions ...

What does amicus curia mean?

Amicus Curiae. The amicus curiae, or amicus briefs, is a legal term meaning "friend of the court." This 'friend' is a person or organization offering the court additional information or perspective about the case.