| A | B |
|---|
| Activist Approach | The view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the Constitution and apply them to modern circumstances. |
| Amicus Curiae | A brief submitted by a "friend of the court." |
| Brief | A written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it. |
| Class Action Suit | A case brought by someone to help him or her and all others who are similarly situated. |
| Concurring Opinion | A signed opinion in which one or more justices agree with the majority's conclusion but for different reasons. |
| Constitutional Court | A federal court authorized by Article III fo the Constitution that keeps judges in office during good behavior and prevents their salaries from being reduced. They are the Supreme Court (created by the Constitution) and appellate and district courts created by Congress. |
| Courts of Appeals | Federal courts that hear appeals from district courts. No trials. |
| Dissenting Opinion | A signed opinion in which one or more of the justices disagree with the majority view. |
| District Courts | The lowest federal courts; federal trials can be held only here. |
| Diversity Cases | Cases involving citizens of different states who can bring suit in federal courts. |
| Dual Sovereignty | A doctrine holding that state and federal authorities can prosecute the same person for the same conduct, each authority prosecuting under its own law. |
| Federal Question Cases | Cases concering the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties. |
| Fee Shifting | A rule that allows a plaintiff to recover costs from the defendant if the plaintiff wins. |
| In Forma Pauperis | A method whereby a poor person can have his or her case heard in federal court without charge. |
