| A | B |
|---|
| human rights | basic privileges people has simply because they are human beings |
| UDHR | statement of basic human rights and standards for government that has been agreed to by almost every country in the world |
| criminal laws | the branch of laws dealing with crimes and their punishment |
| felonies | serious criminal offenses punishable by a prison sentence of more than 1 year |
| misdemeanors | criminal offenses, less serious than felonies, punishable by a prison sentence of 1 year or less |
| civil laws | all laws that do not involve criminal matters, such as torts and contract laws. Usually deal with private rights of individuals, groups or businesses |
| civil action | a noncriminal lawsuit, brought to enforce a right or redress a wrong |
| defendant | person against whom a claim is made. In a civil suit, it is the person being sued; in a criminal case, it is the person charged with committing a crime |
| plaintiff | in a civil case, the injured party who brings the legal action against the alleged wrongdoer |
| prosecutor | the state or federal government’s attorney in a criminal case |
| beyond a reasonable doubt | the level of proof required to convict a person of a crime. It does not mean “convicted 100%,” but does mean there are no reasonable doubts as to guilt |
| preponderance of the evidence | usually the standard of proof used in a civil suit; the burden of proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit. To win, a party must provide evidence that is more convincing than the other side’s evidence |
| legislature | Make laws at both the state level and the federal level (Congress: Senate & House of Representatives). |
| statutes | written laws enacted by legislatures |
| ordinances | county or city laws |
| Supremacy laws | The Constitution and the Laws of the U.S. shall be the supreme law of the land. |
| bills | proposed laws being considered by a legislative body |
| legislative intent | what the lawmakers who passed a law wanted the law to mean. If the language of a statute is unclear, judges will often look at the legislative intent to help them interpret the law |
| trials | court proceedings |
| appeals | people who lose a trial can sometimes ask a higher court to review and change the result of the trial |
| appellate courts | courts in which appeals from trial court decisions are heard |
| precedent | court decision on a legal question that guides decisions in future cases presenting similar questions |
| international lawmaking | Creating laws that apply to the conduct of countries. Include treaties - pact between countries |
| advocacy | The active support of a cause and persuading others to support the same cause. |
| lobbying | a way to influence the lawmaking process by convincing lawmakers to vote as you want them to |
| grassroots lobbyists | A person, or group of people, who works to convince a lawmaker to vote for or against a particular issue by participating in rallies or letter writing campaigns |
| initiative | a procedure by which voters can propose a law and submit it to the electorate or the legislature for approval |
| referendum | procedure in which issues are voted on directly by the citizens rather than by their representatives in government |
| recall | the removal of an elected official from office by a vote of the people |
| campaign finance reform | Contributions, donations or payments to politicians or political parties, are not tax-deductible from income taxes |
| negotiation | process of discussing an issue to reach a settlement or agreement |
| settlement | mutual agreement between two sides in a civil lawsuit, made either before the case goes to trial or before a final judgment is entered, that settles or ends the dispute |
| arbitration | a way of settling a dispute without going to trial. The parties who disagree select one or more impartial persons to settle the argument. If the arbitration is binding, then all parties must accept the decision |
| mediation | the act or process of resolving a dispute between two or more parties |
| ombudspersons | people who have the power to investigate reported complaints and help achieve fair settlements |
| trial courts | courts that listen to testimony, consider evidence, and decide the facts in a disputed situation |
| parties | the people directly concerned with or taking part in any legal matter |
| adversarial system | the judicial system used in the U.S. It allows opposing parties to present their legal conflicts before an impartial judge and jury |
| inquisitional system | a European method for handling disputes in which the judge plays an active role in gathering and presenting evidence and questioning witnesses |
| plea bargain | in a criminal case, the negotiations between the prosecutor, defendant, and defendant’s attorney. In exchange for the defendant agreeing to plead guilty, the prosecutor agrees to charge the defendant with a less serious crime, which usually results in a lesser plea |
| voir dire | It is the screening process in which opposing lawyers question prospective jurors to ensure as favorable or as fair a jury as possible |
| removal for cause | part of the jury selection process. After voir dire, opposing attorneys may request removal of any juror who does not appear capable of rendering a fair and impartial verdict |
| peremptory challenges | part of the pretrial jury selection. Attorneys on opposing sides may dismiss a certain number of possible jurors without giving any reason. There is one exception: peremptory challenges cannot be used to discriminate based on race. |
| Error of law | a mistake made by a judge in legal procedures or rulings during a trial that may allow the case to be appealed |
| dissenting opinion | the written opinion of the minority of judges who disagree with the decision of the majority in a trial or appeal. |
| concurring opinion | an additional written court opinion in which a judge(s) agree with the decision reached by the court, but for reasons different from those used to support the majority opinion |
| probate | the process of providing to a court that a will is genuine; distributing property according to the terms of a will |
| retainer | a down payment by which a client hires an attorney to act in his/her behalf |
| litigator | a trial attorney |
| contingency fee | the fee paid to an attorney based on a % of the sum the client is awarded or settles for in a lawsuit |
| privilege | the right and the duty to withhold information from others because of some special status or relationship of confidentiality. These privileges include husband-wife, doctor-patient and attorney-client. |
| disbarred | lawyers who violated standards of conduct and lost their licenses to practice law |
| legal malpractice | the type of lawsuit brought against a lawyer for loss or injury to his or her client caused by the lawyer’s error or failure to meet acceptable standards of practice for the legal profession |
