Legal person - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

Overview

Legal person refers to a human or non-human entity that is treated as a person for limited legal purposes.

Typically, a legal persons can sue and be sued, own property, and enter into contracts.�

Business Law

"Legal person" is used frequently within the field of business law.

Laws dealing with business organizations��(i.e. corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, etc.) often use the term "legal person," so that the laws apply to humans, as well as non-human business entities.�

Election Law

"Legal person" has relevance in election law as well. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010),�the Supreme Court upheld legal personhood for corporations which want to contribute to political campaigns.��

Further Reading

For more on legal persons, see this Yale Law Journal article, this Wake Forest Law Review article, and this��Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs.