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How does the ejusdem generis rule guide judges interpreting general phrases in laws?

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President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare Bill at a table beside former President Harry S. Truman, with Lady Bird Johnson and others standing behind them. — Legislation Former U.S. president Harry S. Truman (right) looking on as U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare bill at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, July 30, 1965.

The ejusdem generis rule is a canon of construction used by courts during the process of statutory interpretation to determine the intended meaning of general language within a law.1

When a statute lists specific items or circumstances followed by a general phrase, the rule dictates that the general language should be interpreted to include only items or matters of the same kind or class as those specifically enumerated.1

For example, if a law refers to an "inn, restaurant, or barber shop, or other place of accommodation," the ejusdem generis rule guides judges to interpret "other place of accommodation" as being limited to establishments similar in nature to those listed. Consequently, this interpretation would exclude unrelated locations, such as a dentist's office, because they do not share the same characteristics as the specific examples provided. This tool helps courts fulfill their goal of discovering and giving effect to the legislature's collective intent.1