Ad Hoc

[Latin, For this; for this special purpose.] An attorney ad hoc or a guardian or curator ad hoc is one appointed for a special purpose, generally to represent the client, ward, or child in the particular action in which the appointment is made.

An Administrative Agency, a legislature, or other governmental bodies may establish ad hoc committees to study particular problems. For example, a city government may establish an ad hoc committee to investigate and discuss the placement of a new stadium in the city. Likewise, an administrative agency in some jurisdictions may engage in ad hoc rulemaking, whereby the agency establishes specific procedures to promulgate a rule without necessarily adhering to formal rulemaking requirements.

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ad hoc adj. Latin shorthand meaning "for this purpose only." Thus, an ad hoc committee is formed for a specific purpose, usually appointed to solve a particular problem. An ad hoc attorney is one hired to handle one problem only often is a specialist in a particular area or considered especially able to argue a key point.