IN PAPER

in paper.Hist. Of a proceeding that is within the jurisdiction of the trial court; that is, before

the record is prepared for an appeal.

“Formerly, the suitors were much perplexed by writs of error brought upon very slight and trivial grounds, as misspellings and other mistakes of the clerks, all which might be amended at the common law, while all the proceedings were in paper, for they were then considered in fieri, and therefore subject to the control of the courts.” 3 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 407 (1768).

[Blacks Law 8th]