Restatements

Introduction

In 1923, the American Law Institute (ALI) was created to produce one highly authoritative rule-like source stating the common law.  The purpose was not to create the law but to state what already existed, hence the name Restatements.  The first Restatement, covering the law of contracts, was promulgated in 1932.

The Restatements are not primary authority; however, the Restatements are usually given greater weight by the courts than other secondary materials because they are drafted by eminent scholars in a particular field of law.