Law Glossary

20 terms

A career in law involves helping people understanding their rights and guiding them through the legal system. In fact, lawyers have a variety of responsibilities such as representing clients in court, going through important legal documents, giving legal advice, etc. The type of work they do can vary, depending on the type of law they choose, but one thing they all have in common is that all lawyers must use clear and legal language on a daily basis. Therefore, this glossary can be very useful for future law students and lawyers since it explains common legal words in a simple and clear way.

acquittal: A judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which the person has been charged.
appeal: An appeal is an application to review a matter that has been decided by a Court. The appeal is directed to the "higher" level of court above the level of the deciding court. More precisely, an appeal is a review of an order. It is not a review of the reasons of a Court per se.
bench trial: Bench trial refers to the type of trial that does not involve a jury but is conducted by the judge alone, in which the judge both decides the facts of the case and applies the law.
capital offense: A capital offense is a criminal charge that is punishable by the death penalty. It is not necessary that the actual punishment imposed was the death penalty, but rather a capital office is classified as such if the permissible punishment prescribed by the legislature for the offense is the death penalty.
chambers: Chambers are the private rooms where judges may hear matters, transact business, or have legal discussions with lawyers in private, it is usually used in the plural in this sense. If a trial is “in chambers,” it means that the trial happens in a courtroom without the public, newspaper reporters, etc.
concurrent sentence: A concurrent sentence refers to a type of sentence judges are able to give defendants convicted of more than one crime. Instead of serving each sentence one after another, a concurrent sentence allows the defendant to serve all of their sentences at the same time, where the longest period of time is controlling.
default judgment: Default judgments are ordered when one party has failed to file and serve a response to the claim within the time allowed by the rules (Rule 3-8). A plaintiff can also apply for a default judgment if the defendant has withdrawn the response to civil claim.
defendant: An individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law.
evidence: Evidence is defined as “the facts used to support an assertion or conclusion”. The judge or jury will decide based on the evidence that is presented at trial. Only evidence that is relevant and material to your case is allowed to be presented in court.
felony: A crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.
file: A file is an official record of a case; a portion of a lawyer’s case record. A file is also a collection of data or information stored on a computer.
injunction: A judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another, or that compels a person to carry out a certain act, e.g., to make restitution to an injured party.
judgment: Judgment means the final decision made by a court or tribunal. After the judges consider all the relevant evidence of the legal trial and consider all rights and obligations, the plaintiff and defendant will receive the final ruling. This judgment could end the potential or existing dispute among the dispute parties by listing which side was ruled in favor of, and listing what remedies are to be awarded.
jurisdiction: The official power to make legal decisions and judgments. "Federal courts had no jurisdiction over the case".
mistrial: A mistrial occurs when a jury is unable to reach a verdict and there must be a new trial with a new jury; or there is a serious procedural error or misconduct that would result in an unfair trial, and the judge adjourns the case without a decision on the merits and awards a new trial.
parole: Permission for a prisoner to be released before their period in prison is finished, with the agreement that they will behave well.
probation: Probation is a criminal sentence that allows a convicted defendant to remain in the community under supervision instead of serving time in jail or prison.
sentence: A sentence is the judgment that a court formally delivers after finding a criminal defendant guilty. "Sentence" refers to the term of imprisonment or probation imposed on a convicted defendant for their criminal wrongdoing.
testimony: Testimony is oral or written evidence given by the witness under oath, affidavit, or deposition during a trial or other legal procedures.
verdict: A verdict is the formal decision or judgment rendered by a court at the conclusion of a trial or legal proceeding. It represents the culmination of the entire legal process. Verdicts are reached by a judge or a jury, depending on the type of trial and jurisdiction.