| A | B |
|---|
| litigate | To take a dispute to court. |
| mediator | An independent third party who tries to develop a solution acceptable to both sides of a dispute. |
| arbitrator | An independent third party who makes a binding decision in a dispute. |
| court | A governmental forum that administers justice under the law. |
| trial court | The first court to hear a dispute. |
| original jurisdiction | The power to hear a case in full for the first time. |
| appellate court | A court that reviews decisions of lower courts when a party claims an error was made during the previous proceeding. |
| transcript | A verbatim record of what went on at a trial. |
| appellate briefs | Written arguments on the issues of law. |
| general jurisdiction | The authority to hear almost any kind of case. |
| special jurisdiction | The authority to hear only one specific type of case. |
| writ of certiorari | An order from the Supreme Court to turn the record of a case to the Supreme Court for review. |
| court of record | A trial court that keeps an exact account of what goes on at the trial. |
| Justice | The title given to judges who sit on state supreme courts and the federal Supreme Court |
| associate circuit courts (or county courts) | State courts at a level below the main courts of general original jurisdiction. |
| municipal courts | City courts that administer the city's ordinances. |
| small claims courts | Courts that handle disputes in which small amounts. |
| juveniles | Younger members of society who are over 13 and under 18 years of age in most states. |
| probate courts | Courts that administer wills and estates. |
