Legal Definitions - memorandum disposition

A memorandum disposition is a type of court opinion that succinctly states the decision of the court. It is usually a unanimous appellate opinion that briefly reports the court's conclusion, without elaboration because the decision follows a well-established legal principle or does not relate to any point of law. It is also known as a memorandum decision or memorandum opinion.

For example, if a court is presented with a case that has already been decided in a previous case, the court may issue a memorandum disposition stating that the decision in the previous case applies to the current case. This type of opinion is used when the court does not need to provide a detailed explanation of its decision.