Lame Duck Amendment Law and Legal Definition
The twentieth amendment of the U.S is known as the lame duck amendment. The amendment ratified in 1933 reduced the amount of time between election day and the beginning of Presidential, Vice Presidential and Congressional terms. The presidential and vice-presidential inaugurations were changed from March 4 to January 20, and the date for congressional convention from March 4 to January 3 thereby eliminating the short session of Congress, during which a number of members sat who had not been reelected to office. An elected official serving out a term after a successor has been elected is referred to as a lame duck.
