AUTHORITIES
Governmental entities that have been created and
delegated with official responsibilities, such as a
county highway authority. In legal research and
citation, entities cited as sources of law, such as
statutes, judicial decisions, and legal textbooks.
Parties support their positions in a lawsuit by cit-
ing authorities in briefs, motions, and other docu-
ments submitted to the court.
Primary authorities are citations to statutes,
court decisions, and government regulations
that, if having the force of law, must be applied
by the court to dispose of the issue in dispute if
they are relevant to the matter. Secondary
authorities are references to treatises, textbooks,
or restatements that explain and review general
principles of law that buttress a party’s position
in a lawsuit. Such authorities have no legal effect
and can be disregarded by the court.
Authorities are also cited by scholars in legal
treatises, hornbooks and restatements to estab-
lish the bases of the statements and conclusions
contained in the works.
CROSS-REFERENCES
