permanent appropriationBudget authority that becomes available as the result of previously enacted legislation (substantive legislation or prior appropriations act) and does not…
Permanent injunctionA court order requiring that some action be taken, or that some party refrain from taking action on a permanent basis.
Person in need of supervision (PINS)Juvenile found to have committed a "status offense" rather than a crime that would provide a basis for a finding of delinquency.
Person Skilled in the ArtA fictitious person who has knowledge of all prior art and who has ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. MPEP 2141.03.
Personal propertyAll tangible property (other than land) that is either temporary or movable in some way, such as furniture, jewelry, electronics, etc.
Personal recognizanceIn criminal proceedings, the pretrial release of a defendant without bail upon his or her promise to return to court. See recognizance.
Personal representativeThe person who administers an estate. If named in a will, that person's title is an executor.
Petabyte (PB)A petabyte is a measure of computer data storage capacity and is one thousand million million (1,000,000,000,000,000) bytes. See Byte.
Petición, mociónUna solicitud por palabra o por escrito pidiendo reparación o protección judicial específica que es hecha al juez por una de las partes.
petit jury (or trial jury)A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute.
PetitionPetition refers to the Form I-129 that is filed with USCIS by a prospective H-1B employer seeking approval to employ an H-1B worker and its accompanying…
Petition for Extension of TimeA petition requesting an extension of the time period for response to an Office action. Payment of a fee is sometimes required. MPEP 710.02(e).
petition preparerA business not authorized to practice law that prepares bankruptcy petitions.
Petition to ReviveA petition that a patent application be revived from either unintentional or unavoidable abandonment. MPEP 711.03(c).
PetitionerThe person filing a certain type of action in a court of original jurisdiction. Also, the person who appeals the judgment of a lower court. See respondent.
PetitionforCertiorariA petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision of a lower court.
petitions (patent matters)-- see MPEP 711.03 and Petitions Practice within the USPTO on Patent Matters for information
petty offenseA federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison.
PG PubPre-Grant Publication of patent application at 18 months from priority date
Phase ChangeA method of storing information on rewritable optical discs.
Physical custodya form of child custody that grants one parent the right to live with the child.
Physical DdiscAn actual piece of computer media, such as the hard disc or drive, floppy discs, CDROM discs, Zip discs, etc.
Physical evidenceDuring discovery, the defendant is entitled to inspect and copy certain physical evidence in the possession of the government.
Physical File SpaceWhen a file is created on a computer, a sufficient number of clusters (physical file space) are assigned to contain the file.
PICAOne sixth (1/6) of an inch. Used to measure graphics/fonts. There are 12 points per pica; 6 picas per inch; 72 points per inch.
Picture ElementThe smallest addressable unit on a display screen. The higher the resolution (the more rows of columns), the more information can be displayed.
PingPing is a computer network tool used to test whether a particular host is reachable across an IP network.
Pioneer InventionAn invention that breaks new ground in a technological art or that creates a new art.
Pioneer PatentA patent on an invention that breaks new ground in a technological art or that creates a new art.
PitchCharacters (or dots) per inch, measured horizontally.
PKIPublic Key Infrastructure - a system of administrative procedures and methods, combined with secure information technologies, that is used to manage…
PKI Digital SignatureA document or file may be digitally signed using a partys private signature key, creating a digital signature that is stored with the document.
Plain TextThe least formatted and therefore most portable form of text for computerized documents.
PlaintextThe least formatted and therefore most portable form of text for computerized documents.
plaintiffA person or business that files a formal complaint with the court.
Plaintiff/ComplainantThe party (a person, a partnership, or a corporation) that started the lawsuit by filing and serving the Complaint, Petition, or Affidavit.
PlanA benefit your employer, union or other group sponsor provides to you to pay for your health care services.
plan of reorganizationSets out how a debtor in Chapter 11 reorganization proposes to repay its creditors.
plant application (patent)are applications to protect invented or discovered, asexually reproduced plant varieties.
plant patentmay be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant. --see also patent
PlatterOne of several components that make up a computer hard drive. Platters are thin, rapidly rotating discs that have a set of read/write heads on both sides…
PleaThe first pleading by a criminal defendant, the defendant's declaration in open court that he or she is guilty or not guilty.
Plea agreementAn agreement between the government and the defendant to resolve a pending criminal case by the defendant's entry of a guilty plea rather than going to…
Plea Agreement or plea bargainPlea bargaining is the process where the defendant and the prosecution come to an agreement as to a disposition of charges, subject to the Court's…
Plea bargainingProcess where the accused and the prosecutor in a criminal case work out a satisfactory disposition of the case, usually by the accused agreeing to plead…
plea deal (or plea bargain or agreement)Agreement between the defendant and prosecutor where the defendant pleads guilty in exchange for a concession by the prosecutor.
PleadingsShorthand for all the documents filed at Court. With the Court’s permission, pleadings may be amended or changed at any time.
POAPower of Attorney - formal assignment to another of the right to legally act on your behalf
Pocket partSupplements to law books in pamphlet form which are inserted in a pocket inside the back cover of the books to keep them current.
pocket vetoThe Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress.
POD (Print On Demand)Document images are stored in electronic format and are available to be quickly printed and in the exact quantity required, long or short runs.
PoderAutorización para que una persona actúe como representante de otra.
point of orderA claim made by a Senator from the floor that a rule of the Senate is being violated.
PointerA pointer is an index entry in the directory of a disc (or other storage medium) that identifies the space on the disc in which an electronic document or…
POISPatent Cooperation Treaty Operations Imaging System
PolicyThe contract form issued by the company to explain the coverage provided. It is a legal document.
policy committeesEach party policy committee provides research and other services to Senators and also serves as a forum for discussion of party legislative strategy.
Polling the juryThe act, after a jury verdict has been announced, of asking jurors individually whether they agree with the verdict.
Populationthe totality of items or units of material under consideration.
Por SíComparecer en juicio en representación propia sin un abogado.
Portable Document Format(PDF) An Adobe technology for formatting documents so that they can be viewed and printed using the Adobe Acrobat reader.
Portable VolumesA feature that facilitates the moving of large volumes of documents without requiring copying multiple files.
Portrait ModeA display where the height exceeds the width.
Post-trialRefers to items happening after the trial, i.e., post-trial motions.
postcard receipta self-addressed, stamped postcard with itemized list of parts of patent application and number of pages per MPEP 503; used as a receipt for what was…
PostmortemAfter death. Often used to describe an autopsy.
postpetition transferA transfer of the debtor's property made after the commencement of the case.
Pour-Over willA will that leaves some or all estate assets to a trust established before the will-maker's death.
PowerAuthority to do. One has the power to do something if he is of legal age. Also, used as "powers," the term refers to authority granted by one person to…
Power of AttorneyA written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney.
Power of Attorney/Power of AuthorityA written document signed by a person giving another person the power to act in conducting the signer's business, including signing papers, speaking for…
Pre-filing MediationThis is a special mediation option for landlords filing eviction actions and tenants filing rent escrow actions in Hennepin County.
Pre-sentence investigationThe procedure after conviction during which the defendant’s criminal history is investigated.
Pre-trial hearingA court procedure during which the issues to be tried are narrowed and certain facts and admissions are agreed upon in order to speed up the trial.
preambleThe formal introductory clause of a patent claim. Depending on the circumstances, the preamble may or may not define a narrowing element of the claim.
Preamble of ClaimThe part of the claim that precedes the transitional phrase. Often the preamble states the purpose of the invention, as in "A device for transporting cars…
prebankruptcy planningThe arrangement (or rearrangement) of a debtor's property to allow the debtor to take maximum advantage of exemptions.
precautionary designationdesignation of a Contracting State in an international application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty which must be confirmed prior to 15 months…
PrecedentLaws established by previous cases which must be followed in actions involving identical circumstances. See stare decisis in Foreign Words Glossary.