Business Law

Published opinions of courts are also collectively referred to as case law.  An opinion is a statement prepared by a judge or court that announces the decision after a case is tried. 

Opinions include a summary of the facts; applicable laws, and how they relate to the facts; rationale to support the decision; a judgement.

Image source:  Wikimedia Commons.  Swatjester. CC-BY-SA-2.0. 

The Supreme Court's opinions go through several generations--or stages--of publication.

Bench
"On days that opinions are announced by the Court from the bench, the text of each opinion is made available immediately to the public and the press in a printed form called a "bench opinion." http://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/info_opinions.aspx

Slip
"Several days after an opinion is announced by the Court, it is printed in a 6" x 9" self-cover pamphlet called a "slip opinion." Each slip opinion consists of the majority or plurality opinion, any concurring or dissenting opinions, and the syllabus. It may [also] contain corrections..."  http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/ info_opinions.aspx

Preliminary
"...Brown, soft-cover "advance pamphlets" that contain, in addition to the opinions themselves, all of the announcements, ½ tables, indexes, and other features that make up the U.S. Reports.  The contents of two or three preliminary prints will eventually be combined into a single bound volume." http://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/info_opinions.aspx

Bound
"The fourth and final generation of opinion publication is the casebound set of law books entitled United States Reports."  http://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/info_opinions.aspx