Definition
An or paper is a court calendar or list of cases set down for a special hearing, trial, or argument. It identifies matters that have been specifically scheduled before a court, distinguishing them from the general run of business or from cases awaiting ordinary turn on the docket. The term derives from the scheduling practice of listing causes "specially" — that is, by particular order or assignment — rather than by routine call.
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Why It Matters in Research
Researchers encounter "or paper" almost exclusively in older procedural materials and historical court records. The term has largely fallen out of modern usage, replaced by terms like "special calendar," "trial calendar," or simply "docket." When reviewing nineteenth- and early twentieth-century court documents, rules of court, or procedural treatises, distinguishing the or paper from the general docket is important: a case appearing on the or paper had been specifically placed there by judicial order or stipulation, signaling a different procedural posture than a case in the ordinary course.
The term is also easy to overlook in historical source searches because it appears as two words ("or paper") in a form that modern full-text search may not flag as a legal term of art. Researchers searching court records or procedural rules for scheduling terminology should include this phrase alongside "special calendar," "notice of trial," and "peremptory setting."
The Black's entry is sparse, and the term does not appear prominently in most other standard historical legal dictionaries. This suggests it was a term of regional or transitional procedural practice rather than a concept of broad doctrinal importance. Researchers should not expect to find substantial case law development around the phrase itself; its significance is administrative and procedural.
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Historical Dictionary Support
Black's Law Dictionary defines or paper simply as "a calendar or list of causes, containing those set down specially for hearing, trial, or argument." This definition is brief and functional, reflecting the administrative character of the term. Black's provides no further elaboration, no citation to authority, and no indication of which courts or jurisdictions commonly used the term. The entry has remained stable across editions in which it appears, suggesting neither doctrinal development nor controversy.
No meaningful divergence or evolution is evident from the available historical dictionary record, and no treatise source elaborates substantially on the term. The absence of deeper coverage confirms that or paper was a procedural label rather than a legal concept warranting extended analysis.
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Encyclopedia Cross-Reference
Secured Transactions — Classification of Collateral (Goods, Accounts, Instruments, Chattel Paper, etc.), The Law Mind Contracts & Commercial Law Encyclopedia
Note: The encyclopedia match surfaces because of the word "paper" appearing in both terms. The encyclopedia entry on collateral classification concerns chattel paper — a distinct commercial law concept with no connection to or paper as a court scheduling term. Researchers should not conflate the two. The encyclopedia cross-reference is included for completeness but does not reflect a substantive relationship between the terms.
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