Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is the level of alcohol (understood as ethanol) circulating in the bloodstream. For example, a BAC level of 0.20% means that a person’s bloodstream contains 0.20g/dL (milligrams per deciliter) of alcohol for every...
ACADEMIC TOPICS
blue sky law
Blue sky laws are state securities regulations. That is, in addition to federal securities regulations, mainly the Securities Act of 1933 and the Exchange Act of 1934, states may also require issuers of securities to register with their state...
Bluebook
Bluebook, formally known as The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that sets forth the most widely used legal citation system in the United States, i. e., how U.S. legal documents are cited in legal memoranda, court...
bluebooking
Bluebooking refers to the process of editing and checking the form of legal citations to comply with the Bluebook's provisions for the legal citation standards. The Bluebook, formally known as The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, is a...
bona fide
Bona fide is a Latin term that means “good faith” and is most frequently seen in the context of a bona fide purchaser.
[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
bookkeeping fraud
Overview
Bookkeeping fraud (also referred to as accounting fraud) refers to types of fraud committed by officers, accountants, and other employees that manipulate company finances and records to achieve some kind of personal gain. There are...
breach
A breach is a violation of law or when a party fails to perform their part of a contractual agreement. For more information, see breach of contract.
[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
brief
A brief is a written argument submitted to the court. Lawyers often prepare briefs which highlight and clarify certain information or provide legal comparisons in an attempt to persuade the courtroom to rule in favor of that lawyer’s client...
bright-line rule
A bright-line rule is an objective rule that resolves legal questions in a straightforward, predictable manner. Because bright-line rules determine outcome entirely based on objective factors, they best allow parties to conduct their affairs...
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Overview:
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the “Separate but Equal” doctrine and outlawed the ongoing segregation in schools. The court ruled that laws mandating and enforcing...