UNIT 1 - BASIC LEGAL TERMS.
- Attorney. An attorney is a person who works in law and gives legal advice.
- Complaint. A complaint is an accusation in a civil court.
- Court. A court is a place where justice is administered.
- Defendant. A defendant is the person who has been accused of wrong doing in the legal system.
- Judge. A judge is the person who is in charge of and decides cases in a court.
- Jury. A jury is a group of people who listen to evidence and decide whether someone is guilty of innocent in a court case.
- Legal System. A country's legal system is the method of interpreting laws and putting them into effect.
- Paralegal. A paralegal is an attorney's assistant with specialized legal training.
- Plaintiff. A plaintiff is a person or company who brings a case to court against another person because they want to recover compensation for loss or injury.
- Verdict. A verdict is a jury's decision regarding whether someone is guilty or innocent.
UNIT 2 - BASIC LEGAL CONCEPTS.
- Appeal. An appeal is a request for a decision to be investigated again. / To appeal means to ask for a problem to be investigated again, in order to have a decision.
- Damages. Damages are the money a person receives to compensate for loss or injury.
- Dispute. A dispute is a disagreement or conflict.
- Due process. Due process is a citizen's guarantee that he or she will receive a fair trial.
- Initiate. To start something.
- Lawsuit. A vernacular term for a suit, action, or cause instituted or depending between two private persons iu the courts of law.
- Legal action. Legal action is the use of lawyers and the legal system to help solve a problem.
- Proof. Proof (or evidence) is information, documentary or verbal, which can help to show the truth in a case.
- Settle. To settle is to come to an agreement and end a dispute without further need of litigation.
- Trial. A trial is an event in court in which a jury or judge decides if someone is innocert or guilty.
UNIT 3 - LEGAL RESOURCES.
- Case annotations. Case annotations are articles about individual legal cases.
- Cases. A general term for an action, cause, suit, or controversy, at law or in equity.
- Cite. To cite something is to write information that you found in another book and mention wh wrote it originally.
- Computerized databases. A computerized database is a collection of texts and information which is avaible on a computer.
- Digest. A digest is a legal book which summarizes individual cases.
- Form books. A form book is a collection of forms and documents which are required or recommended to be used in legal cases.
- Journals. A journal is an academic magazine which presents formal articles.
- Law. The whole system or set of rules made by the government of a town, state, country, etc.
- Legal encyclopedias. A legal encyclopedia is a book which gives brief information about a wide range of legal matters.
- Opinions. In the law of evidence, opinion is an inference or conclusion drawn by a witness from facts some of which are known to him and others assumed, or drawn.
- Primary Materials. Primary materials are texts which give information about the government's laws.
- References. In a document, a reference is the details about a book and its author that was used to help write the documents. A reference is made to show where information comes from.
- Resources. A resource is a person or thing that gives information or help.
UNIT 4 - SOURCES OF LAW.
- Constitutional law. If a law is constitutional, it is connected with the way the state or country is governed, especially with regars to the rights of the people in that place.
- Court rules. Court rules are the regulations that people must follow in court.
- Legislation. Legislation is a law or set of laws that is formally decided and put in force by a government.
- Pertain. If something pertains to something else, it is connected to it.
- Policy. A policy is a principle which the law encourages.
- Precedent. A precedent is a decision in a past law case. Lawyers use this information because future cases may result in similar decisions.
- Procedure. A procedure is a set of steps you must follow in order to do something correctly.
- Relevant. If something is relevant, it is connected with what is happening.
- State Law. State law is the set of rules which applies in one area of a country.
- Statute. A statute is a law that has been written down formally.
UNIT 5 - PRELIMINARY DOCUMENTS.
- Agenda. The Agenda is a term of parliamentary law and procedure referring to a program, written notice and order of business at an upcoming meeting.
- Correspondence. Correspondence is letters and emails.
- Demand package. A demand package is a request for a set of documents related to a case.
- Fee agreement. A fee agreement is a document that outlines an attorney's cost and expenses.
- Form letter. A form letter is a letter which is printed many times and sent to may different people.
- Intake memo. An intake memo is a questionnaire or set of notes that a lawyer writes for a new client.
- Litigation. Litigation is the process of taking a case to court where a dispute can be heard and a decision made.
- Medical records. A medical record is a document containing information about your health.
- Police report. A police report is a document that police officers write in order to report a crime.
- Retainer agreement. A retainer agreement is a contract between an attorney and a client for the retention of the attorney's services.
UNIT 6 - COURT STRUCTURE.
- Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is the situation when a person announces to a court that he has no money.
- Claims. People make a claim when they ask for something that they believe belong to them.
- Court of appeals. An appellate court intermediate between the trial courts and the court of last resort.
- Discretionary review. If a case is discretionay, a court can choose whether or not to investigate it.
- District courts. A district court is a general court that covers cases in a small area.
- Jurisdiction. Judisdiction is the authority of an official organization to deal with, hear and decide legal disputes.
- Reviews. A reconsideration; second view or examination; revision ; consideration for purposes of correction.
- Specialized courts. If something is specialized, it concentrates on a specific area.
- State courts. A state court investigates cases that are concerned with state laws, not national laws.
- The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the USA, and it reviews the biggest and most important cases.
UNIT 7 - JURISDICTION.
- Adjudicate. When somebody adjucates, he acts as a judge in a formal matter.
- Authority. Authority is the right to control people or organizations.
- Concurrent. If authority is concurrent, it can be shared by different legal bodies.
- Exclusive. If authority is exclusive, it is held by one body and is not shared.
- Forum shopping. Forum shopping is the act of choosing which court to take your case to.
- Legal bodies. A legal body is an organization with power to make or enforce laws.
- Personal jurisdiction. Personal jurisdiction is the authority of an official organization over a certain type of person.
- Rule in favor. When a decision rules in someone's favor, the decision benefits that person.
- Subject jurisdiction. Subject jurisdiction is the authority of an official organization over a particular subject area.
- Territorial jurisdiction. Territorial jurisdiction is the authority of an official organization over a certain geographical region.