Common Legal Terms — page 3 of 9

897 terms

Common Legal Terms terms

  1. corpus The body of the uterus.
  2. Corpus delicti The body or substance of the offense.
  3. Corpus juris Comprehensive collection of the law.
  4. Corpus juris civilis The body of the civil law.
  5. Corroborating evidence Supplementary evidence that tends to strengthen or confirm the initial evidence.
  6. counsel Legal advice; a term used to refer to lawyers in a case.
  7. Counterclaim A claim made by the defendant in a civil lawsuit against the plaintiff.
  8. Coup de grace A finishing blow or stroke.
  9. court Government entity authorized to resolve legal disputes. Judges sometimes use "court" to refer to themselves in the third person, as in "the court has read…
  10. Court costs The expenses of prosecuting or defending a lawsuit, other than attorneys fees. An amount of money may be awarded to the successful party (and may be…
  11. Court of original jurisdiction A court where a matter is initiated and heard in the first instance; a trial court.
  12. court reporter The person who takes down each and every word said in court "on the record" and, when necessary, produces a transcript of what happened at the hearing.
  13. Court rules Regulations governing practice and procedure in the various courts.
  14. Court-appointed attorney Attorney appointed by the court to represent a defendant, usually with respect to criminal charges and without the defendant having to pay for the…
  15. Creditor A person or company who provides credit to another person or company functions as a creditor.
  16. Crime An act in violation of the penal laws of a state or the United States. A positive or negative act in violation of penal law.
  17. Crimen A crime.
  18. Criminal justice system The network of courts and tribunals which deal with criminal law and its enforcement.
  19. Cross-claim A pleading which asserts a claim arising out of the same subject matter as the original complaint against a co-party.
  20. Cross-examination The questioning of a witness produced by the other side.
  21. cross-examine Questioning of a witness by the attorney for the other side.
  22. Cui bono For whose benefit.
  23. Culpa Fault or guilt.
  24. Cum With.
  25. Cumulative sentences Sentences for two or more crimes to run consecutively, rather than concurrently. See consecutive sentences.
  26. Curia Court.
  27. Custodia legis Custody of the law.
  28. custody Detaining of a person by lawful process or authority to assure his or her appearance to any hearing; the jailing or imprisonment of a person convicted of…
  29. damages Money awarded to a person injured by the wrongful act of another person.
  30. Damnum absque injuria Legally noncompensable loss.
  31. Datum (Pl. data) An item or thing given; a date.
  32. De bene esse Conditionally or provisionally; for what it is worth.
  33. De facto In fact; an actuality.
  34. De Jure By law; valid in law.
  35. De minimis non curat lex The law does not care about mere trifles.
  36. De Novo (dih NO-vo) In cancer, the first occurrence of cancer in the body.
  37. Debtor Someone who owes monies to another party.
  38. Decision The opinion of the court in concluding a case at law.
  39. Declaratory judgment A statutory remedy for judicial determination of a controversy where a party is in doubt about his/her legal rights.
  40. Decree An order of the court. A final decree is one that fully and finally disposes of the litigation. See interlocutory.
  41. Defamation That which tends to injure a person's reputation. See libel and slander.
  42. Default Default occurs when a debtor is unable to meet the legal obligation of debt repayment, one form of which is the failure to promptly pay interest or…
  43. default judgment A judgment rendered because of the defendants failure to answer or appear.
  44. Defendant An individual (or business) against whom a lawsuit is filed.
  45. Defense of property Affirmative defense in criminal law or tort law where force was used to protect one's property.
  46. defense table The table where the defense lawyer sits with the defendant in the courtroom.
  47. Deficient Incomplete; defective; not sufficient in quantity or force.
  48. Defunct A corporation no longer operative; having ceased to exist.
  49. Demurrer A pleading filed by the defendant which alleges that the complaint as filed is not sufficient to require an answer.
  50. Dependent A qualifying child or qualifying relative, other than the taxpayer or spouse, who entitles the taxpayer to claim a dependency exemption.
  51. Deposition An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths.
  52. Dictum (Pl. dicta) A judicial opinion on a point of law which is not necessary for the court's decision in a particular case.
  53. Digests Legal volumes that contain summaries of cases arranged alphabetically by topic.
  54. Direct evidence Among other things, proof of facts by witnesses who saw acts done or heard words spoken.
  55. Direct examination The first questioning of witnesses by the party on whose behalf they are called.
  56. Directed verdict See judgment as a matter of law.
  57. Disbarment Form of discipline of a lawyer resulting in the loss (often permanently) of that lawyer's right to practice law. See censure or suspension.
  58. Discharge (DIS-charj) In medicine, a fluid that comes out of the body. Discharge can be normal or a sign of disease.
  59. Disclaim To refuse a gift made in a will.
  60. Discovery This is when the Court orders each party (each side) to give each other information about the facts before the trial, to avoid surprise.
  61. Dismissal Process by which a court will terminate a case. With Prejudice - cannot refile. Without Prejudice - can refile at a later date.
  62. Dissent To disagree. An appellate court opinion setting forth the minority view and outlining the disagreement of one or more judges with the decision of the…
  63. Dissolution The termination; process of dissolving or winding up something.
  64. Diversion The process of removing some minor criminal, traffic or juvenile cases from the full judicial process, on the condition that the accused undergo some sort…
  65. Diversity of citizenship The condition when the party on one side of a lawsuit is a citizen of one state and the other party is a citizen of another state; such cases may be under…
  66. docket A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  67. Docket control A system for keeping track of deadlines and court dates for both litigation and non-litigation matters.
  68. Domicile Your domicile is your permanent residence, which you demonstrate by using it as your primary home, holding a driver's license using that address, and…
  69. Double jeopardy Putting a person on trial more than once for the same crime. It is forbidden by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  70. Duces Tecum Bring with you.
  71. Due process of law The right of all persons to receive the guarantees and safeguards of the law and the judicial process.
  72. Durante Pending or during.
  73. Durante vita During life.
  74. E pluribus unum One out of many; one composed of many (the motto of the United States, one government formed of many states).
  75. Emeritus Retired from official active duties.
  76. Eminent Domain When a government takes private property for public use. The owner receives payment for its fair market value.
  77. en banc "In the bench" or "full bench." Refers to court sessions with the entire membership of a court participating rather than the usual quorum. U.S.
  78. Encyclopedia A book or series of books arranged alphabetically by topics containing information on specific areas of law.
  79. Enjoining An order by the court telling a person to stop performing a specific act.
  80. entity A legally recognized organization.
  81. Entrapment The act of inducing a person to commit a crime so that a criminal charge will be brought against him.
  82. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established as an independent agency on December 2, 1970 during President Nixon's term in office.
  83. Eo ipso By the thing itself.
  84. Equal Protection of the Law The guarantee in the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that all persons be treated equally by the law.
  85. equitable Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could…
  86. Equity Another word for "stock." It represents an ownership interest by shareholders in a corporation.
  87. Erratum (Pl. errata) Error made in printing.
  88. Escheat Reversion of real or personal property to the State when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank…
  89. Escrow A financial instrument held by a third party on behalf of the other two parties in a transaction.
  90. Esprit de corps The spirit which animates a collective body, as of the army or the bar.
  91. Esquire In the United States the title commonly appended after the name of an attorney. Abbreviated: Esq.
  92. Esse To be.
  93. Estate Your estate is what you leave behind, financially speaking, when you die. To figure its worth, your assets are valued to determine your gross estate.
  94. Estate tax Your estate owes federal estate tax on the value of your taxable estate if the estate is larger than the amount you are permitted to leave to your heirs…
  95. Estoppel An impediment that prevents a person from asserting or doing something contrary to his own previous assertion or act.
  96. ET And; also.
  97. Et alii (Abbr. et al.) And others.
  98. Et sequentia (Abbr. et seq.) And as follows.
  99. Et uxor (Abbr. et ux.) And wife.
  100. Et vir And husband.

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