Proofreading Definitions Of Legal Terms

Front 1

adjudge

Back 1

(1) To determine or decide by judicial procedure; adjudicate (2) To regard, consider, or deem: was adjudged incompetent...

Front 2

adjudicatory

Back 2

Concerned with adjudicating (determining/deciding by judicial procedure).

Front 3

a fortiori

Back 3

For a still stronger reason; all the more.

Front 4

a priori

Back 4

Latin phrase meaning "from the former". In much of the modern Western tradition, the term a priori is considered to mean propositional knowledge that can be had without, or "prior to", experience. It is usually contrasted with a posteriori knowledge, which requires experience.

Front 5

amicus curiae

Back 5

A party that is not involved in a particular litigation but that is allowed by the court to advise it on a matter of law directly affecting the litigation.

Front 6

ancillary

Back 6

(1) Of secondary importance (2) helping.

Front 7

appellant

Back 7

One who appeals a court decision. Of or relating to a court appeal; appellate.

Front 8

apposite

Back 8

Strikingly appropriate and relevant.

Front 9

arbiter

Back 9

One chosen or appointed to judge or decide a disputed issue; an arbitrator.

Front 10

bicameral

Back 10

Composed of or based on two legislative chambers or branches.

Front 11

causality

Back 11

The principle of or relationship between cause and effect.

Front 12

caveat emptor

Back 12

The axiom or principle in commerce that the buyer alone is responsible for assessing the quality of a purchase before buying (buyer beware).

Front 13

certiorari

Back 13

A writ from a higher court to a lower one requesting a transcript of the proceedings of a case for review.

Front 14

chattel

Back 14

An article of movable personal property.

Front 15

codicil

Back 15

(1) A supplement or appendix to a will. (2) A supplement or appendix.

Front 16

debenture

Back 16

A certificate or voucher acknowledging a debt.

Front 17

decedent

Back 17

One who has passed away.

Front 18

deponent

Back 18

One who testifies under oath, especially in writing.

Front 19

depose

Back 19

To swear: make a deposition; declare under oath.

Front 20

depositary, -ory

Back 20

One entrusted with something for preservation or safekeeping.

Front 21

deposition

Back 21

Testimony under oath, especially a statement by a witness that is written down or recorded for use in court at a later date.

Front 22

duces tecum

Back 22

A judicial process commanding a person to appear in court and bring with him some piece of evidence or other thing to be produced to the court.

Front 23

easement

Back 23

A right, such as a right of way, afforded a person to make limited use of another's real property.

Front 24

egress

Back 24

The right to leave or go out: denied the refugees egress...

Front 25

e.g.

Back 25

exempli gratia (for example)

Front 26

en banc

Back 26

All of the judges of a court sitting together. Appellate courts can consist of a dozen or more judges, but often they hear cases in panels of three judges. If a case is heard or reheard by the full court, it is heard en banc.

Front 27

encumber

Back 27

(1) To burden with legal or financial obligations. (2) To hinder or impede the action or performance of.

Front 28

enquire

Back 28

Variant of inquire.

Front 29

ensure

Back 29

To make sure or certain; insure.

Front 30

escrow

Back 30

Money, property, a deed, or a bond put into the custody of a third party for delivery to a grantee only after the fulfillment of the conditions specified.

Front 31

estoppel

Back 31

A bar preventing one from making an allegation or a denial that contradicts what one has previously stated as the truth.

Front 32

et seq.

Back 32

Short for et sequens (and the following one or ones).

Front 33

enure

Back 33

Variant of inure. (To habituate to something undesirable, especially by prolonged subjection.)

Front 34

executor

Back 34

A person who is appointed by a testator to execute the testator's will.

Front 35

ex parte

Back 35

From or on one side only, with the other side absent or unrepresented.

Front 36

fiduciary

Back 36

Of or relating to a holding of something in trust for another: a fiduciary heir.

Front 37

force majeure

Back 37

An unexpected or uncontrollable event.

Front 38

habeas corpus

Back 38

A remedy to remove the illegal restraint on a freeman.

Front 39

i.e.

Back 39

That is to say; in other words.

Front 40

inchoate

Back 40

That which is not yet completed or finished. Contracts are considered inchoate until they are executed by all the parties.

Front 41

indict

Back 41

To accuse formally, as in: The Grand Jury has enough evidence to indict him.

Front 42

inquire

Back 42

To make an inquiry or investigation.

Front 43

in re

Back 43

In the matter or case of; in regard to.

Front 44

in rem

Back 44

Latin term meaning "against the thing." Used to describe a legal action which is taken against land rather than against the land owner, such as a bank's foreclosure on a defaulted mortgage.

Front 45

insure

Back 45

(1) To provide or arrange insurance for. (2) To make sure, certain, or secure.

Front 46

inter alia

Back 46

Amongst other things. For example, an Inter Alia Mortgage would cover more than one property. Typically it is a mortgage covering 2 or more properties.

Front 47

intestate

Back 47

(adj) Having made no legal will: an intestate parent. (n) One who dies without a legal will.

Front 48

inure

Back 48

To habituate to something undesirable, especially by prolonged subjection.

Front 49

mortgagee

Back 49

One that holds a mortgage. (Mortgage: A temporary, conditional pledge of property to a creditor as security for performance of an obligation or repayment of a debt.)

Front 50

mortgagor

Back 50

One that mortgages property.

Front 51

per curiam

Back 51

Latin term meaning "by the court." Sometimes the written reasons for the decision of an appeal court are not acknowledged to be the reasons of a particular judge of the court but of the court as a whole and the reasons are given under the heading "per curiam."

Front 52

per stirpes

Back 52

Latin term, meaning "by representation." A method of dividing an estate equally among the heirs of the deceased. If an heir has predeceased, her share is divided equally by her linear descendants.

Front 53

perquisite

Back 53

A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary.

Front 54

practicable

Back 54

Feasible, or usable (is not the same as practical).

Front 55

prima facie

Back 55

At first sight; before closer inspection: They had, prima facie, a legitimate complaint. (adj) Evident without proof or reasoning; obvious: A prima facie violation of the treaty.

Front 56

pro forma

Back 56

Latin for "as a matter of form " and is used on balance sheets and income statements to refer to data that is hypothetical. For example, if company A buys company B mid-year, the year-end financial reports of Company A might show current earnings and last year's earnings as Pro Forma — as if the two companies had been merged all along. This gives a more relevant earnings comparison year over year.

Front 57

promissory

Back 57

A written promise to pay or repay a specified sum of money at a stated time or on demand. A prommissory note.

Front 58

pro rata

Back 58

Latin, meaning "according to the rate." Pro rata refers to dividing something (costs, income, profits, assessments, proceeds from a liquidation, etc.) among participants according to a rate in which each participant's share is in proportion to the part of the whole owned or claimed by the participant.

Front 59

recision

Back 59

The act of rescinding; the cancellation of a contract and the return of the parties to the positions they would have had if the contract had not been made; recission may be brought about by decree or by mutual consent.

Front 60

sub nom

Back 60

Latin for "under the name". This is a reference to the name by which a case has been entered in court. An entity may have several names, and it is not necessarily obvious which name has been used in court. The phrase is used to indicate what name has been used. It is short for sub nomine.

Front 61

subpoena

Back 61

A command from a court to require the person named in the subpoena to appear at a stated time and place to provide testimony or evidence. There are two main types of subpoenas: "duces tecum" (requires the production of documents, papers, or other tangibles) and "ad testificandum" (requires person to testify in a particular court case).

Front 62

supra

Back 62

Latin for above. It refers you to something at an earlier place; "see above."

Front 63

tenancy

Back 63

(1) Possession or occupancy of lands, buildings, or other property by title, under a lease, or on payment of rent (2) The period of a tenant's occupancy or possession.

Front 64

testator

Back 64

One who has made a legally valid will before death.

Front 65

therefor

Back 65

For that or for it; "ordering goods and enclosing payment therefor"; "a refund therefor."

Front 66

therefore

Back 66

For that reason or cause; consequently or hence.

Front 67

torts

Back 67

Damage, injury, or a wrongful act done willfully, negligently, or in circumstances involving strict liability, but not involving breach ofcontract, for which a civil suit can be brought.

Front 68

tortious

Back 68

Pertaining to the nature of a tort: "tortious acts."

Front 69

venue

Back 69

The locality or political division from which a jury is called and in which a trial is held; the locality where a crime is committed or a cause of action occurs.

Front 70

vis-a-vis

Back 70

French. Literally, "face to face." (1) In regard to. (2) Compared with.

Front 71

voire dire

Back 71

From the French words "to see" and "to say or tell". (1) A special hearing where a judge decides whether evidence can be presented at trial. It is a trial within a trial, where the victim may be called to testify.

Front 72

Front 73

C.F.R.

Back 73

Code of Federal Regulations

Front 74

Back 74

Front 75

Back 75