Law Dictionary Definitions

bale. A package of goods wrapped in cloth and marked so as to be identifiable on a bill of lading.[Blacks Law 8th]

balancing test.A judicial doctrine, used esp. in constitutional law, whereby a court measures competing interests — as between individual rights and governmental powers, or between state authority and federal supremacy — and decides which interest should prevail.[Blacks Law 8th]

balance-sheet test.See balance-sheet insolvency under INSOLVENCY.[Blacks Law 8th]

balance-sheet insolvency.See INSOLVENCY. [Blacks Law 8th]

balance sheet.A statement of an entity’s current financial position, disclosing the value of the entity’s assets, liabilities, and owners’ equity. — Also termed statement of financial condition; statement of condition; statement of financial position. Cf. INCOME STATEMENT.[Blacks Law 8th]

balance of sentence suspended.A sentencing disposition in which a criminal defendant is sentenced to jail but credited with the time already served before trial, resulting in a suspension of the remaining sentence and release of the defendant from custody. Cf. SENTENCED TO TIME SERVED.[Blacks Law 8th]

balance of probability.See PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE. [Blacks Law 8th]

balanced economy.See ECONOMY. BALANCED FUND balanced fund.See MUTUAL FUND. BALANCE OF CONVENIENCE balance of convenience.A balancing test that courts use to decide whether to issue a preliminary injunction stopping the defendant’s allegedly infringing or unfair practices, weighing the benefit to the plaintiff and the public against the burden on the defendant.[Blacks Law 8th]

balance,vb.1. To compute the difference between the debits and credits of (an account) <the accountant balanced the company’s books>.2. To equalize in number, force, or effect; to bring into proportion <the company tried to balance the ratio of mid-level managers to assembly-line workers>.3. To measure competing interests and offset them appropriately <the judge balanced the…

Baker v. Selden doctrine.See MERGER DOCTRINE (1).[Blacks Law 8th]