Legal Dictionary of Pakistan

unpublished opinion

An opinion that the court has specifically designated as not for publication. ( Court rules usu. prohibit citing an unpublished opinion as authority. Such an opinion is considered binding on only the parties to the particular case in which it is issued. Cf. slip opinion 2. A formal expression of judgment or advice based on an expert's special knowledge; esp., a document, usu. prepared at a client's request, containing a lawyer's understanding of the law that applies to a particular case. - Also termed opinion letter "The essence of a lawyer's job is to obtain the facts and the law with due diligence and then to give advice. But, strangely, no controlling definition has evolved for what is an 'opinion.' The lack of a definition is not crucial for some purposes. On the other hand, a definition is vital in other areas; for example, to determine within a law firm when peer review is necessary . . . . " 8 Arnold S. Jacobs, Opinion Letters in Securities Matters § 3, at Intro-12 (1998).