Also known as: jural relation · jural-relations · legal relations
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
The legal connections between persons consisting of rights, duties, powers, and privileges that arise from law or agreement and determine the effects of one party's acts on another.
Jacob Jennings, acting as sales agent for Jacobs Shipping, receives a broad directive from the owner to move inventory without stated limits. Jennings negotiates and signs a repurchase commitment with Jimenez Motors. The commitment alters Jacobs Shipping's legal duties toward Jimenez Motors because the owner's manifestation of consent empowered Jennings to affect those relations.
Helping Hands receives a federal grant under a statute allowing either chamber of Congress to cancel awards by resolution. The House passes a resolution voiding the grant. The resolution changes Helping Hands's legal entitlements outside the legislative branch and therefore must satisfy bicameralism and presentment to be valid.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Jada Jones tells Justin Jarvis she will buy bread exclusively from him for a year but immediately states the arrangement is merely a friendly understanding and not legal. Jarvis buys equipment in reliance. No contract forms because the statement manifests an intention that the promise shall not affect legal relations.
Jorge Juarez receives business cards and attends client meetings at Jackson Mutual without disclaimers of limited power. Juarez signs a trading authorization for a client who then transfers funds. The firm's manifestations to the client create power to affect the firm's legal relations with that client.
Jeanette Jensen promises Jha Pharmaceuticals a fixed-price supply arrangement for five years. The promise produces a term that defines the legal relations between the parties concerning pricing and delivery even though the parties never discussed creating those relations.
Judy Jacobs, an agent for Jackson Mutual, negotiates and executes a service contract with a vendor. The execution alters Jackson Mutual's rights and duties toward the vendor and simultaneously creates corresponding duties between Jackson Mutual and Jacobs herself.
An agent's authorized act changes the principal's rights and duties toward third parties. The change occurs because the agent's power stems directly from the principal's manifested consent.
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Yes. A clear manifestation that a promise shall not affect legal relations blocks contract formation even when the parties exchange definite terms and one side relies.
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A measure alters such relations when its purpose and effect is to change the rights or duties of persons outside the legislative branch. Any such measure must satisfy bicameralism and presentment.
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Apparent authority arises from the principal's manifestations to third persons rather than to the agent. It still empowers the agent to alter the principal's legal relations with those third persons.
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…established, the question then becomes simply "whether the particular state action in the particular circumstances, determining legal relations between private persons, is constitutional when tested against the various federal constitutional restrictions on state action."[^maj-24] The question in the instant case would then be…