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Wage and hour laws -Federal and state laws setting minimum wages and maximum hours of work: the leading law is the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Wager of law -A practice in old England by which a person accused of something, such as owing money, could swear that the money was not owed and could bring eleven neighbors to swear to the person's general truthfulness.

Wagner Act -A federal law, passed in 1935, that established most basic union rights. It prohibited several employer actions (such as these actions "unfair labor practices." The Wagner Act (also known as the National Labor Relation Act) created the National Labor Relations Board to help enforce the labor laws.

Wait and see statute -A state law that avoids some of the problems caused by the rule against prepetuities by allowing time to pass to find out if a will or trust violates the rule.

Walsh-Healey Act -A federal law that set up minimum wage, hour, and work condition standards for employees working for contractors on federal jobs.

Warranty -1. Any promise (or a presumed promise, called an implied warranty) that certain facts are true.
2. In land law, a warranty is a promise or guaranty in a deed that the title of land being sold is good and is complete.

Well-pleaded complaint doctrine -The federal rule that a defendant cannot remove a lawsuit from state court to federal court unless the plaintiff's complant shows that the case involves federal law. Compare with artful pleading doctrine

Whereas -A vague word, often used to mean "because". When placed at the beginning of a legislative bill, "whereas" introduces the explanation for why the bill should be passed and made law.

Whereby -A vague word meaning "by means of," how?" or several other things. This word, like other vague, formal "where" words (whereas, wherfore, whereof, whereon, whereunder, whereupon, etc.), is usually best left out of a sentence or replaced by a specific thing, place, idea, etc.

Wherefore -A vague word, often used in a complaint to begin the section in which the plaintiff spells out exactly what he or she wants from the defendant or wants the court to do.

Will -1. Desire; choice.
2. A document in which a person tells how his or her property is to be handed out after death.

Within the statute -1. Defined by the statute.
2. Prohibited by the statue.
3. Allowed by the statue.

Writ -A judge's order requiring that something be done outside the courtroom or authorizing it to be done. The most commint writ is a notice to a defendant that a lawsuit has been started and that if nobody comes to court to defend against it, the plaintiff may win automatically. If the writ cannot be served a second one (alias writ) may be used.

Wrong -A violation of a person's legal rights, especially a tort.

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