Work, Work, Work

In the case of Tyson Foods, Inc. v. de Ascencio, the Supreme Court is currently considering the issue of whether the word "work" under the Fair Labor Standards Act includes the time spent donning light protective gear, "if the activities do not require a significant level of exertion." Read the rest at Scotus Blog. All I can say is: if doing work requires a "significant level of exertion," then I want no part of it.

Word of the Week

Eigne

An adjective from Law French meaning "firstborn," it also has a metaphorical sense of "prior" or "superior" (giving rise to constructions such as eigne title). Old English law, with its fine distinctions, recognized the status of bastard eigne -- the firstborn illegitimate son of parents who subsequently married and had a legitimate son. Whatever would we do without that term?