Common Legal Terms — page 9 of 9

Common Legal Terms terms

801. Tax Court of the United States A judicial body which hears cases concerning federal tax laws.
802. Taxable income The income against which tax rates are applied to compute tax paid; gross income of businesses or adjusted gross income of individuals less deductions and…
803. Temporary relief Any order from the court that protects an interest of a party pending further action by the court.
804. temporary restraining order An emergency remedy of brief duration issued by a court only when immediate or irreparable damages or loss might result before the opposition could take…
805. Tempus Time
806. Tender of performance An offer or attempt to do what is required under a contract or under the law.
807. Tenere To hold or to keep.
808. Testamentary capacity The legal ability to make a will.
809. Testamentary trust A trust set up by a will.
810. Testator Person who makes a will (Female: testatrix).
811. testify Answer questions in court.
812. Testimony The evidence given by a witness under oath. It does not include evidence from documents and other physical evidence.
813. Third party complaint A pleading filed by a defendant against a third party (not presently a party to the suit) which alleges that the third party is liable for all or part of…
814. Title A title is a legal document proving ownership of a piece of property. If you are buying real estate you authorize a title search, or examination of…
815. toll See statute of limitations.
816. tort A private or civil wrong or injury for which the court provides a remedy through an action for damages.
817. Toto Whole or complete (also used in toto).
818. Totum The whole.
819. trademark See service mark.
820. Transcript a written copy of spoken or recorded material which is the official or legal copy of a court hearing, also called a court reporter’s transcript.
821. Treatise A book or writing containing a narrative statement on a field of law.
822. Trial The examination of facts and law heard by a referee/judge with authority to hear the matter (jurisdiction).
823. Trial brief A written document prepared for the court and used at trial. It contains the issues to be tried, synopsis of evidence to be presented and case and…
824. Trust A fiduciary relationship in which a person, called a trustee, holds title to property for the benefit of another person, called a beneficiary.
825. Trust agreement or declaration The legal document that sets up a living trust. Testamentary trusts are set up in a will.
826. Trustee A trustee is a person or institution appointed to manage assets for someone else's benefit.
827. Truth in lending A federal law obligating a lender to give full written disclosure of all fees, terms, and conditions associated with the loan initial period and then…
828. U.S. Attorney A lawyer appointed by the President in each judicial district to prosecute and defend cases for the federal government. The U.S.
829. U.S. Attorney (or federal prosecutor) A lawyer appointed by the President in each judicial district to prosecute and defend cases for the federal government.
830. U.S. Marshal (or bailiff) enforce the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
831. Ubi supra Where above mentioned.
832. Ultra Beyond; outside of; in excess of.
833. Ultra vires Beyond power; beyond or exceeding legal power or authority.
834. Una voce With one voice; unanimously.
835. Unfair labor practice Actions by the employer which interfere with, restrain, coerce, or threaten employees with respect to their rights as employees. Common Legal Terms.48
836. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) (UCC) A set of statutes enacted by the various States to provide consistency among the States' commercial laws.
837. Uniform Laws Annotated Annotated uniform and model acts approved by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
838. Unilateral contract An agreement by which one undertakes an express performance without receiving any express promise of performance from the other.
839. Union An organization of workers formed for the purpose of collective bargaining.
840. United States Attorney A federal district attorney appointed by the President to prosecute all offenses committed against the United States; to prosecute or defend the…
841. United States Bankruptcy Court The judicial body which hears matters pertaining to bankruptcy and reorganization.
842. United States Court of Appeals Courts which hear appeals from federal district courts, bankruptcy courts, and tax courts.
843. United States Court of Claims Court which hears certain actions brought against the U.S. Government.
844. United States Court of Customs & Patent Appeals Court which hears appeals from all U.S. customs courts.
845. United States Court of International Trade Court which hears cases concerning federal tariff laws.
846. United States Court of Military Appeals Court which hears appeals from court marshal decisions.
847. United States District Courts Courts which hear both criminal and civil actions and admiralty cases.
848. United States Magistrate Judge Judicial officer given authority by 28 U.S.C. 636. This judicial officer hears all preliminary criminal matters, but does not conduct felony trials.
849. United States Marshals Service Agency which serves civil and criminal process in federal courts for those people who have been found to be a pauper.
850. United States Postal Service The federal office which provides mail delivery to individuals and businesses within the United States.
851. United States Reports Publication of court decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
852. United States Supreme Court The highest court in the land, established by U.S. Constitution.
853. Unsecured debts In bankruptcy, debts such as open accounts at department stores for which the debtor has not pledged collateral to guarantee payment.
854. uphold The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision. Also called “affirm.”
855. Urban A city or town.
856. Usury Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan.
857. Uxor Wife.
858. Uxor et vir Wife and husband.
859. Vacantia bona Goods without an owner; unclaimed goods.
860. Vacate To set aside.
861. Vel Whether; or.
862. Vel non Or not.
863. Venire A writ summoning persons to court to act as jurors. See venire facias in Foreign Words Glossary.
864. Venire facias Writ used in summoning jurors.
865. venue The geographical location in which a case is tried.
866. Verdict A conclusion, as to fact or law, that forms the basis for the judgment of the jury or the court. See Judgment as a Matter of Law.
867. Versus (Abbr. v. or vs.) Against.
868. Veterans Administration (VA) The federal agency responsible for the VA loan guaranty program as well as other services for eligible veterans.
869. Vice versa The order is changed; in alternative order.
870. victim advocate work with prosecutors and assist the victims of a crime.
871. Vir Husband.
872. Vir et uxor Husband and wife (also sometimes seen et ux).
873. Visa An official endorsement on a document or passport denoting that the bearer may proceed.
874. Viva voce By oral testimony; a living voice.
875. Vivos Living. See inter vivos.
876. Void Invalid; a void agreement is one for which there is no remedy.
877. Voidable Capable of being declared invalid; a voidable contract is one where a person may avoid an obligation, as a contract between an adult and a minor.
878. Voir dire The preliminary examination made in court of a witness or juror to determine his/her competency or interest in a matter. Literally, to speak the truth.
879. Voluntary bankruptcy A proceeding by which a debtor voluntarily asks for a discharge of his/her debts under the Bankruptcy Code.
880. Waiver Under the conflict of interest statute, 18 U.S.C. § 208, a waiver permits an employee to participate in specified Government matters which would…
881. Waiver of immunity A means authorized by statute by which a witness, before testifying or producing evidence, may relinquish the right to refuse to testify against himself…
882. warrant A certificate giving the holder the right to purchase a security (such as a stock) at a set price within a specified period of time.
883. Warranty A promise that a proposition of fact is true.
884. Warranty Deed A document protecting a homebuyer against any and all claims to the property.
885. Water rights The right to use water.
886. Will A will is a legal document you use to transfer assets you have accumulated during your lifetime to the people and institutions you want to have them after…
887. With prejudice A declaration which dismisses all rights. A judgment barring the right to bring or maintain an action on the same claim or cause.
888. Withholding Withholding is the amount that employers subtract from their employees' gross pay for a variety of taxes and benefits, including Social Security and…
889. Without prejudice A declaration that no rights or privileges of the party concerned are waived or lost.
890. witness One who personally sees or perceives a thing; one who testifies as to what he has seen, heard, or otherwise observed.
891. Words and Phrases Legally Defined A set of books in dictionary form which lists judicial determinations of a word or phrase.
892. Worker's Compensation An insurance plan that employers are required to have to cover employees who get sick or injured on the job.
893. writ Authority to carry out or to act.
894. writ of certiorari An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.
895. Writ of execution An order of the court evidencing debt of one party to another and commanding the court officer to take property in satisfaction of the debt.
896. Writ of garnishment An order of the court whereby property, money, or credits in the possession of another person may be seized and applied to pay a debtor's debt.
897. Zoning Commission Local agencies with jurisdiction to regulate use of properties within their geographic area.