Select a word:
abandonment
n. the act of intentionally and permanently giving up, surrenderi...
abstract of judgment
n. a written summary of a judgment which states how much money th...
advancement
n. a gift made by a person to one of his or her children or heirs...
after-discovered evidence
n. evidence found by a losing party after a trial has been comple...
agency
n. the relationship of a person (called the agent) who acts on be...
agent
n. a person who is authorized to act for another (the agent's pri...
amend
v. to alter or change by adding, subtracting, or substituting. On...
amended complaint
n. what results when the party suing (plaintiff or petitioner) ch...
amended pleading
n. a changed written pleading in a lawsuit, including complaint o...
apparent authority
n. the appearance of being the agent of another (employer or prin...
appurtenant
adj. pertaining to something that attaches. In real property law ...
attorney-client privilege
n. the requirement that an attorney may not reveal communications...
bailment
n. 1) the act of placing property in the custody and control of a...
bench
n. 1) general term for all judges, as in "the bench," or for the ...
beneficial interest
n. the right of a party to some profit, distribution, or benefit ...
beneficiary
n. a broad definition for any person or entity (like a charity) w...
breaking and entering
n. 1) the criminal act of entering a residence or other enclosed ...
burden of proof
n. the requirement that the plaintiff (the party bringing a civil...
capital offense
n. any criminal charge which is punishable by the death penalty, ...
challenge for cause
n. a request that a prospective juror be dismissed because there ...
closing argument
n. the final argument by an attorney on behalf of his/her client ...
comparative negligence
n. a rule of law applied in accident cases to determine responsib...
compensatory damages
n. damages recovered in payment for actual injury or economic los...
competent
adj. 1) in general, able to act in the circumstances, including t...
confidential communication
n. certain written communications which can be kept confidential ...
consequential damages
n. damages claimed and/or awarded in a lawsuit which were caused ...
consignment
n. the act of consigning goods to one who will sell them for the ...
contingent
adj. possible, but not certain.
contingent beneficiary
n. a person or entity named to receive a gift under the terms of ...
contingent interest
n. an interest in real property which, according to the deed (or ...
contingent remainder
n. an interest, particularly in real estate property, which will ...
contributory negligence
n. a doctrine of common law that if a person was injured in part ...
cotenancy
n. the situation when more than one person has an interest in rea...
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
n. a federal court established (1929) to hear appeals from decisi...
covenant
1) n. a promise in a written contract or a deed of real property....
criminal calendar
n. the list of criminal cases to be called in court on a particul...
default judgment
n. if a defendant in a lawsuit fails to respond to a complaint in...
defendant
n. 1) the party sued in a civil lawsuit or the party charged with...
defense attorney
n. 1) the attorney representing the defendant in a lawsuit or cri...
deficiency judgment
n. a judgment for an amount not covered by the value of security ...
denial
n. a statement in the defendant's answer to a complaint in a laws...
deponent
n. a person testifying (stating answers in response to questions)...
descent
n. the rules of inheritance established by law in cases in which ...
descent and distribution
n. the system of laws which determine who will inherit and divide...
direct evidence
n. real, tangible or clear evidence of a fact, happening or thing...
dividend
n. a portion of profit, usually based on the number of shares of ...
documentary evidence
n. any document (paper) which is presented and allowed as evidenc...
domestic violence
n. the continuing crime and problem of the physical beating of a ...
element
n. 1) an essential requirement to a cause of action (the right to...
embezzlement
n. the crime of stealing the funds or property of an employer, co...
eminent domain
n. the power of a governmental entity (federal, state, county or ...
employment
n. the hiring of a person for compensation. It is important to de...
en banc
(on bonk) French for "in the bench," it signifies a decision by t...
enjoin
v. for a court to order that someone either do a specific act, ce...
environmental impact report
n. a study of all the factors which a land development or constru...
equitable lien
n. a lien on property imposed by a court in order to achieve fair...
evidence
n. every type of proof legally presented at trial (allowed by the...
executive clemency
n. the power of a President in federal criminal cases, and the Go...
fair comment
n. a statement of opinion (no matter how ludicrous) based on fact...
false pretenses
n. the crime of knowingly making untrue statements for the purpos...
final judgment
n. the written determination of a lawsuit by the judge who presid...
forensic testimony
n. any testimony of expert scientific, engineering, economic or o...
fraud in the inducement
n. the use of deceit or trick to cause someone to act to his/her ...
garnishment
n. the entire process of petitioning for and getting a court orde...
general damages
n. monetary recovery (money won) in a lawsuit for injuries suffer...
general denial
n. a statement in an answer to a lawsuit or claim by a defendant ...
general partner
n. 1) usually one of the owners and operators of a partnership, w...
governmental immunity
n. the doctrine from English common law that no governmental body...
grand larceny
n. the crime of theft of another's property (including money) ove...
gravamen
n. Latin for "to weigh down," the basic gist of every claim (caus...
gross negligence
n. carelessness which is in reckless disregard for the safety or ...
harassment
(either harris-meant or huh-rass-meant) n. the act of systematic ...
incidental beneficiary
n. someone who obtains a benefit as the result of the main purpos...
incompetent
adj. 1) referring to a person who is not able to manage his/her a...
incompetent evidence
n. testimony, documents or things which one side attempts to pres...
indictment
n. a charge of a felony (serious crime) voted by a Grand Jury bas...
informed consent
n. agreement to do something or to allow something to happen only...
infringement
n. 1) a trespassing or illegal entering. 2) in the law of patents...
innocent
adj. without guilt (not guilty). Usually the plea which an accuse...
innuendo
n. from Latin innuere, "to nod toward." In law it means "an indir...
insanity defense
n. the claim of a defendant in a criminal prosecution that he/she...
inspection of documents
n. the right to examine and copy the opposing party's papers in a...
installment contract
n. an agreement in which payments of money, delivery of goods or ...
insufficient evidence
n. a finding (decision) by a trial judge or an appeals court that...
intervene
v. to obtain the court's permission to enter into a lawsuit which...
intervening cause
n. an event which occurs between the original improper or dangero...
intervention
n. the procedure under which a third party may join an on-going l...
irreconcilable differences
n. the usual basis for granting a divorce (dissolution) in no-fau...
joint enterprise
n. a generic term for an activity of two or more people, usually ...
joint tenancy
n. a crucial relationship in the ownership of real property, whic...
judge advocate general
(J.A.G.) n. a military officer who advises the government on cour...
judgment creditor
n. the winning plaintiff in a lawsuit to whom the court decides t...
judgment debt
n. the amount of money in a judgment award to the winning party, ...
judgment notwithstanding the verdict
(N.O.V.) n. reversal of a jury's verdict by the trial judge when ...
just compensation
n. 1) in general a fair and reasonable amount of money to be paid...
juvenile court
n. a special court or department of a trial court which deals wit...
landlord and tenant
n. the name for the area of law concerning renting and leasing pr...
larceny
n. the crime of taking the goods of another person without permis...
latent defect
n. a hidden flaw, weakness or imperfection in an article which a ...
letters testamentary
n. a document issued by the court clerk which states the authorit...
license
1) n. governmental permission to perform a particular act (like g...
licensee
n. a person given a license by the government or under private ag...
licensor
n. a person who gives another a license, particularly a private p...
lien
n. any official claim or charge against property or funds for pay...
M'Naughten rule
n. a traditional "right and wrong" test of legal insanity in crim...
marked for identification
adj. documents or objects presented during a trial before there h...
material representation
n. a convincing statement made to induce someone to enter into a ...
mens rea
(menz ray-ah) n. Latin for a "guilty mind," or criminal intent in...
mental anguish
n. mental suffering which includes fright, feelings of distress, ...
mental cruelty
n. a term, rapidly going out of fashion and out of the statutes, ...
misadventure
n. a death due to unintentional accident without any violation of...
muniment of title
n. documentary evidence of title to real property. A muniment cou...
negligence
n. failure to exercise the care toward others which a reasonable ...
negligence per se
(purr say) n. negligence due to the violation of a public duty, s...
negotiable instrument
n. check, promissory note, bill of exchange, security or any docu...
non compos mentis
: (nahn com-pose meant-is) adj. referring to someone who is insan...
offender
n. an accused defendant in a criminal case or one convicted of a ...
ostensible agent
n. a person who has been given the appearance of being an employe...
ostensible authority
n. apparent authority to do something or represent another person...
parens patriae
(paa-rens pat-tree-eye) n. Latin for "father of his country," the...
passenger
n. a rider who has paid a fare on a train, bus, airline, taxi, sh...
patent
1) adj. obvious. Used in such expressions as a "patent defect" in...
patent infringement
n. the manufacture and/or use of an invention or improvement for ...
peremptory challenge
n. the right of the plaintiff and the defendant in a jury trial t...
permanent disability
n. an injury which impairs the physical and/or mental ability of ...
permanent injunction
n. a final order of a court that a person or entity refrain from ...
physician-patient privilege
n. the right and obligation of a physician to refuse to testify i...
prescriptive easement
n. an easement upon another's real property acquired by continued...
presentment
n. 1) making a demand for payment of a promissory note when it is...
presumption of innocence
n. a fundamental protection for a person accused of a crime, whic...
prudent man rule
n. the requirement that a trustee, investment manager of pension ...
public easement
n. the right of the general public to use certain streets, highwa...
quotient verdict
n. an award of money damages set by a jury in a lawsuit in which ...
registration statement
n. a detailed report to be filed with the Securities and Exchange...
rent
1) v. to hire an object or real property for a period of time (or...
restraint on alienation
n. an attempt in a deed or will to prevent the sale or other tran...
scope of employment
n. actions of an employee which further the business of the emplo...
self-defense
n. the use of reasonable force to protect oneself or members of t...
senior lien
n. the first security interest (lien or claim) placed upon proper...
sentence
1) n. the punishment given to a person convicted of a crime. A se...
separation agreement
n. an agreement between two married people who have agreed to liv...
servient estate
n. real property which has an easement or other use imposed upon ...
sex offender
n. generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex...
shifting the burden of proof
n. the result of the plaintiff in a lawsuit meeting its burden of...
silent partner
n. a non-legal term for an investor who puts money into a busines...
solvency
n. 1) having sufficient funds or other assets to pay debts. 2) ha...
spendthrift clause
n. a provision in a trust or will that states that if a prospecti...
subpena
(subpoena): (suh-pea-nah) n. an order of the court for a witness ...
subpoena
n. the original spelling of subpena, still commonly used.
summary judgment
n. a court order ruling that no factual issues remain to be tried...
tainted evidence
n. in a criminal trial, information which has been obtained by il...
tenancy
n. the right to occupy real property permanently, for a time whic...
tenancy at sufferance
n. a "hold-over" tenancy after a lease has expired but before the...
tenancy by the entirety
n. joint ownership of title by husband and wife, in which both ha...
tenancy in common
n. title to property (usually real property, but it can apply to ...
tender
1) v. to present to another person an unconditional offer to ente...
testamentary capacity
n. having the mental competency to execute a will at the time the...
testamentary trust
n. a trust created by the terms of a will. Example: "The residue ...
transfer agent
n. a person or company retained by a corporation to process trans...
undue influence
n. the amount of pressure which one uses to force someone to exec...
venire
(ven-eer-ay) n. the list from which jurors may be selected.
weight of evidence
n. the strength, value and believability of evidence presented on...
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