| A | B |
|---|
| litigation | the process of carrying on a lawsuit when one part sues another party in a court of law |
| cause of action | the wrong or injury that occurred to cause a party to sue another |
| plaintiff | the party who is suing |
| defendant | the party who is being sued |
| summons | a document notifying the defendant that a lawsuit is being filed against him/her |
| clerk of the court | an official of the court whose job includes filing documents, issuing summonses and keeping records of court proceedings |
| alias summons | the second summons delivered to a defendant |
| complaint | the first document filed in a lawsuit |
| answer | a document in which the defendant responds to the allegations in the complaint and defends against them |
| certified copy | a copy of a document upon which the clerk of the court has stamped or embossed the clerkâs seal |
| caption | the introductory part of a court document which includes the name and location of the court, style of the case, docket number, and title of the document |
| venue | the geographic location of a court |
| petition | also known as the complaint/declaration -- a method of legally asking for something |
| jurisdiction | the authority of a court to hear a case |
| count | each separate cause of action |
| allegation | a statement the accusing party expects to prove |
| et al. | and others |
