Glossary

Opinion

The formal, written result of a case by a judge or judicial panel which resolves a legal dispute.

Opinion of the Court

An opinion joined by a majority of the justices explaining the legal basis for the Court’s decision and regarded as binding precedent in future decisions.

Opinions

The formal, written result of a case by a judge or judicial panel which resolves a legal dispute.

Oral Advocates

An attorney who presents legal briefs and arguments at an appellate level.

Oratory

Formal speaking in public.

Oratory

formal speaking in public.

Pacific Club Set

Wealthy California businessmen Leland Stanford, C.P. Huntington, Lloyd Tevis, and others

Pacifist

a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.

Panic of 1857

a nationwide financial crisis following an economic boom after the Mexican-American War, California Gold Rush, and rapid growth of railroads; particularly affected the Midwest.

Panic of 1873

a financial crisis that triggered severe economic depression in the United States that exposed the vulnerability of the post-Civil War economy and led to widespread bank failures, unemployment, and social unrest