Judicial decisions echo forward in time. Precedent is a prior court ruling that subsequent courts rely on when deciding cases with similar legal issues.

Under stare decisis, courts follow controlling precedent from higher courts in the same jurisdiction. Precedent may also persuade even when it does not bind. The doctrine promotes stability so that people can order their affairs with some confidence about how rules will apply.

Attorneys analogize favorable cases and distinguish unfavorable ones. Courts occasionally overrule outdated precedents when circumstances or legal understanding change significantly. Reading and applying precedent is a daily skill in common-law practice.

• Earlier decision guiding later cases
• Binding when issued by a superior court in the hierarchy
• Supports consistency in the law
• Subject to distinguishing and occasional overruling