CONTRA

contra (kon-tr<<schwa>>), prep. Against or contrary to. • As a citation signal, contra denotes that the cited authority supports a contrary view. In old law reports, contra often identifies the defendant’s attorney (pro que-rente refers to the plaintiff’s).

“Observe in the note citing cases in support of a proposition mentioned in the text whether any of the cases follow the word contra, which means that a contrary rule has been laid down in them.” Frank Hall Childs, Where and How to Find the Law 78–79 (1922). [Blacks Law 8th]