| A | B |
|---|
| litigate | To place a dispute before a court of law for resolution. |
| mediator | A third party brought into a dispute to develop a solution acceptable to both sides of the dispute. The actions of a mediator are not legally binding. |
| arbitrator | A third party, usually hired by both parties who holds an informal hearing to determine what occurred. An arbitrator’s decision is binding to both parties and can be enforced in court if necessary. |
| trial court | The first court to hear a dispute. |
| verdict | A decision in a court case. |
| original jurisdiction | The original power to decide a case. |
| 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 occurred during 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 the state court to turn over 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, generally $2,500 or less, are involved. |
| juvenile court | Courts established specifically to hear cases involving persons under the age of 18 who have not been charged as adults. |
| probate courts | Courts that administer wills and estates. |
