Common Legal Terms — page 4 of 9

897 terms

Common Legal Terms terms

  1. Ethics Of or relating to moral action and conduct; professionally right; conforming to professional standards.
  2. Evidence (EV-uh-dins): Information that is collected in an orderly way about a disease or its treatment. This information often comes from research.
  3. Ex adverso From the opposite view.
  4. Ex cathedra From the bench; with high authority.
  5. Ex contractu From a contract.
  6. Ex curia Out of court.
  7. Ex dono By gift.
  8. Ex lege According to the law.
  9. Ex officio By virtue.
  10. Ex Parte An action (a conversation orally or in writing, a ruling, or a hearing) done without all parties being notified in advance or without their presence.
  11. Ex parte proceeding Actions taken by or orders made by a court upon the application or petition of one party without notice or hearing to other interested parties.
  12. Ex post facto After the act is done; after the fact.
  13. Ex proprio motu By his own motion.
  14. Ex relatione (Abbr. ex rel.) On the information of or on the relation of.
  15. Exceptions Declarations by either side in a civil or criminal case reserving the right to appeal a judge's ruling on a motion.
  16. Exclusionary Rule The rule preventing illegally obtained evidence from being used in any trial.
  17. Exculpatory Evidence Evidence which tends to show the defendant’s innocence.
  18. Execute To complete; to sign; to carry out according to its terms.
  19. Executor A person named in a will and approved by a probate court to administer the deposition of an estate in accordance with the instructions of the will.
  20. Exempt property Property of a debtor that the law protects from the action of creditors.
  21. Exhibit A document or other item introduced as evidence during a trial or hearing.
  22. Exonerate Removal of a charge, responsibility or duty.
  23. Expungement Expungement means sealing the public record of a court action. If your eviction is expunged, then someone searching court files cannot find a record of…
  24. Extenuating circumstances Circumstances which render a crime less aggravated, heinous or reprehensible than it would be otherwise.
  25. Extradition The surrender of an accused criminal by one state to the jurisdiction of another.
  26. Facto In fact; in or by the law.
  27. Fair Market Value Fair market value is the price you would have to pay to buy a particular asset or service on the open market.
  28. FAIT A fact; an act committed; a deed.
  29. Family law Those areas of the law pertaining to families, i.e., marriage, divorce, child custody, juvenile, paternity, etc.
  30. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) A federal agency which regulates air commerce to promote aviation safety.
  31. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) A federal agency which investigates all violations of federal laws.
  32. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) A federal agency which regulates interstate and foreign communications by wire and radio.
  33. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (FDIC) A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and State banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System.
  34. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service A federal agency which provides mediators to assist in labor-management disputes.
  35. federal public defender An attorney employed by the federal courts on a full-time basis to provide legal defense to defendants who are unable to afford counsel.
  36. federal question Jurisdiction given to federal courts in cases involving the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, and treaties.
  37. federal question jurisdiction Jurisdiction given to federal courts in cases involving the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, and treaties.
  38. Federal Register A daily publication which contains federal administrative rules and regulations.
  39. Federal Reporters ("F.," "F.2d" or "F.3d") Books which contain decisions of the Circuit Courts throughout the country.
  40. Federal Supplement ("F. Supp.") Books which contain decisions of the District Courts throughout the country.
  41. Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA tax) A tax levied on employers based upon employee wages paid.
  42. Felony A serious criminal offense. Under federal law, any offense punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
  43. Feme covert A married woman.
  44. Feme sole A single woman (unmarried).
  45. Feme, femme Woman.
  46. Fiduciary Undertaking to act as executor, administrator, guardian, conservator, or trustee for a family trust, authorized trust, or testamentary trust, or receiver…
  47. file To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court/court administrator to enter into the files or records of a case.
  48. Filing Fee The fee required for filing various documents. In civil actions, the filing fee is $120.00.
  49. Finding Formal conclusion by a judge or regulatory agency on issues of fact. Also, a conclusion by a jury regarding a fact.
  50. Finis The end or conclusion.
  51. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (FDA) Federal agency within HHS responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of drugs, biologics, vaccines, and medical devices used (among others) in…
  52. Foreclosure A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default.
  53. Forfeiture The loss of money, property, rights, or privileges due to a breach of a legal obligation.
  54. Fraud A false representation of a matter of fact which is intended to deceive another.
  55. Garnishment Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds…
  56. General Jurisdiction Refers to courts that have no limit on the types of criminal and civil cases over which they may preside.
  57. Good time A reduction in sentenced time in prison as a reward for good behavior. It usually is one third to one half of the maximum sentence.
  58. Government Printing Office (GPO) The federal agency in charge of printing, binding and selling of all government publications.
  59. Gradus A grade or a degree.
  60. Grand Jury A jury of inquiry whose duty it is to receive complaints and accusations in criminal matters and, if appropriate, issue a formal indictment.
  61. Grantor The person conveying real property by a trust deed as security for the performance of an obligation.
  62. Gravis Serious; of importance; something grave.
  63. Grievance A complaint that you communicate to your health insurer or plan.
  64. Guardian A guardian is someone you designate to be legally responsible for your minor children or other dependents who are unable to take care of themselves if you…
  65. Guardianship Legal right given to a person to be responsible for the food, housing, health care and other necessities of a person deemed incapable of providing these…
  66. Habeas Corpus You have the body; a writ used to bring someone before the court.
  67. habeas corpus The name of a writ having for its object to bring a person before a court.
  68. Habendum Clause in a deed which defines the extent of ownership in the thing granted; begins with the words "To have and to hold."
  69. Harmless error An error committed during a trial that was corrected or was not serious enough to affect the outcome of a trial and therefore was not sufficiently harmful…
  70. Headnote A brief summary of a legal rule or significant facts in a case, which, along with other headnotes, precedes the printed opinion in reports.
  71. Hearing A formal proceeding (generally less formal than a trial) with issues of law or of fact to be heard.
  72. hearsay Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay may not be admissible.
  73. Hoc With or this.
  74. Hostile witness A witness whose testimony is not favorable to the party who calls the person as a witness.
  75. Hung jury A jury whose members cannot agree upon a verdict.
  76. Ibidem (Abbr. Ib., ib., Ibid., or ibid.) In the same place, or case, or on the same page.
  77. Id est (Abbr. i.e.) That is; that is to say.
  78. Idem (Abbr. Id.) The very same, exactly this.
  79. Immigrants Persons who come into a foreign country or region to live.
  80. Immigration The entry of foreign persons into a country to live permanently.
  81. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (INS) A federal agency which regulates immigration and naturalization of aliens.
  82. Immunity (ih-MYOO-nih-tee) The condition of being protected against an infectious disease.
  83. impeachment A criminal proceeding against a public official.
  84. Impeachment of a witness An attack on the credibility (believability) of a witness, through evidence introduced for that purpose.
  85. Implied contract A contract not created or evidenced by the explicit agreement of the parties but one inferred by law.
  86. In actu In reality.
  87. In ambiguo Ambiguous; in doubt.
  88. In camera In chambers, or in private. A hearing in camera takes place outside of the presence of the jury and the public.
  89. In curia In court.
  90. In esse In being; to be.
  91. In extenso In full length; verbatim.
  92. In extremis At point of death; in extremity.
  93. In facto In fact or in deed.
  94. in forma pauperis As a poor person; a pauper.
  95. In futuro In the future.
  96. In hoc In this regard; in this.
  97. In initio In the beginning.
  98. In limine At the beginning; the threshold.
  99. In loco In the proper place or location.
  100. In loco parentis In the place of a parent.

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