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First Lord of the Treasury.English law. The chief officer in charge of the treasury. • Today, this position is held by the Prime Minister.[Blacks Law 8th]

First Lord of the Admiralty.Hist. In Britain, a minister and one of the lord commissioners who presided over the navy. • The First Lord was assisted by other lords, called Sea Lords, and various secretaries.[Blacks Law 8th]

first instance, court of.See trial court under COURT.[Blacks Law 8th]

first lien.See LIEN.[Blacks Law 8th]

first-inventor defense.Patents. In a suit alleging infringement of a business-method patent, a statutory affirmative defense made out by showing that the defendant was using the business method commercially for at least a year before the plaintiff filed the patent application. • The First Inventor Defense Act of 1999 is codified at 35 USCA § 273(a)(3).…

first-in, first-out.An accounting method that assumes that goods are sold in the order in which they were purchased — that is, the oldest items are sold first. — Abbr. FIFO. Cf. LAST-IN, FIRST-OUT; NEXT-IN, FIRST-OUT.[Blacks Law 8th]

first impression, case of.See CASE.[Blacks Law 8th]

firsthand knowledge.See personal knowledge under KNOWLEDGE.[Blacks Law 8th]

first fruits. 1.Hist. One year’s profits from the land of a tenant in capite, payable to the Crown after the tenant’s death. — Also termed primer seisin. 2.Hist. Eccles. law. The first year’s whole profits of a clergyman’s benefice, paid by the incumbent to the Pope, or (after the break with Rome) to the Crown.…

first-filing rule.See FIRST-TO-FILE RULE.[Blacks Law 8th]