Glossary
This glossary may be used to find the definitions of many legal terms.
In many instances, there are synonyms and plain language options provided for the terms.
You may search within this glossary:
- by entering a term in the “Keyword Search” field.
- by choosing a “Type” from the drop-down list such as “Estate” or “Small Claims.”
- by choosing the beginning letter in the “Filter by Letter” drop-down list to display only the terms that start with that letter.
A combination of these search options can be used to provide a more defined result.
Note that this glossary may not contain all legal terms.
| Term | Definition | Plain Language | Synonyms | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary | When someone unlawfully breaks into or enters a building or home, and they intend to or do commit a theft or other serious crime. | break in | theft, robbery | General Terms | |
| Bylaws | A corporation's rules for meetings, elections, and other administrative processes. | rules | rules | General Terms | |
| Cafeteria plan | A benefit program that offers a variety of insurance options to employees. | benefit options | General Terms | ||
| Calculate | evaluate, compute | figure | consider, determine, value | General Terms | |
| Calendar | 1. A list of cases scheduled for a particular court. 2. court schedule. | court schedule | schedule | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Calendar call | A hearing when many cases are scheduled for the same time, and a judge will schedule each of them based on its specific status. | General Terms | |||
| Call | To ask a witness to step forward and testify. | ask | request, summon | General Terms | |
| Calumny | Malicious misrepresentation of another's words or acts, causing injury to that person's reputation. | lie | slander, lie | General Terms | |
| Cancel | To invalidate a document by writing cancelled or void on it. | void | wipe out, make invalid, void | General Terms | |
| Canon law | The laws of a church or religion, especially the Catholic Church, that specify the powers of the clergy, administration of the church, and church ceremonies. | religious law | Christian religious law | General Terms | |
| Cap | A common term for maximum, such as the most interest that can be charged, or the maximum number of years to be served in prison. | maximum | the most, maximum | General Terms | |
| Capital | A business's basic assets, or the owners' investment in a business. | assets | money, investment | General Terms | |
| Capital case | A criminal case in which death sentence may be imposed. | death penalty case | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| Capital gains | Profit on the sale of a capital asset, such as stock or real estate. | profit | profit on the plant, equipment, stock, or real estate. | General Terms | |
| Capital offense | A crime punishable by death. | General Terms | |||
| Capital punishment | A death sentence. | death penalty | General Terms | ||
| Capricious | Unpredictable and subject to sudden change of mind that is unusual or unexplained, often used to refer to a judge's decision that seems arbitrary. | unpredictable | impulsive, changeable, erratic, irrational, fickle | General Terms | |
| Caption | A heading required on all court documents that lists the court, case number, document name, and names of everyone involved in the case. | title block | heading, title | General Terms | |
| Carnal knowledge | Sexual intercourse that includes penetration of the woman's vagina by the man's penis. Carnal knowledge is a necessary legal part of many sexual crimes. | sex | intercourse, sex, vaginal penetration | General Terms | |
| CASA | Court Appointed Special Advocate. A volunteer who gets special training to help the court with children in juvenile dependency cases. They provide information to judges to help them make decisions that are in the child's best interest. | General Terms, Domestic Relations | |||
| Case | Any proceeding, action, cause, lawsuit or controversy initiated through the court system by filing a complaint, petition, indictment or information. | lawsuit, action | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| Case file | A complete collection of every document filed in a court case. | General Terms | |||
| Case flow management | How a case is managed from the first paper filed to the final decision. | General Terms | |||
| Case ID | Identification number given to a case by the court. | case number | case number | General Terms | |
| Case in chief | Primary presentation of evidence by a party who has the Burden of Proof. Presenting the supporting evidence of the case. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Case law | Printed decisions and opinions of appellate jurisdictions. | court-created law | non-statutory law, precedent, court-created law | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Case number | Identification number that the court clerk's office gives a case. This number is on all papers filed in the case. Also called "case ID." | case ID | General Terms | ||
| Caseload | The number of cases a judge or an attorney has in a specific time. | number of cases | General Terms | ||
| Cashier's check | A check from a bank (not an individual) that guarantees it will be paid. | bank-issued check | bank-issued check | General Terms | |
| Casualty | An accident or event that could not have been avoided or predicted, or the loss caused by that event. | victim | accident; victim | General Terms | |
| Casualty loss | A loss of money or property due to a sudden, unexpected, or unusual event, like a storm, flood, fire, shipwreck, or earthquake. | loss from accident or disaster | General Terms | ||
| Category | A kind, class, or group. | group | class, division, group | General Terms | |
| Cause | A suit, litigation or action, civil or criminal. | legal action | lawsuit, legal action | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | |
| Cause of action | 1. Situation causing a lawsuit. 2. The rights which a party has to institute a judicial proceeding. | reason for lawsuit | reason for lawsuit | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Caveat | Beware; warning | warning | caution, beware | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Caveat emptor | A theory that says you buy things at your own risk. Comes from the Latin for "let the buyer beware." | buyer beware | at your own risk | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Caveat vendor | Let the vendor beware. | seller beware | at the seller's risk | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| CBP | An abbreviation for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. | border patrol agency | General Terms | ||
| Cease | Stop | stop | stop, end | General Terms | |
| Census | An official count of the number of people living in a certain area. The U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to perform a national census every 10 years. | population count | poll, population tally | General Terms | |
| Certificate of Dissolution or Annulment | A certificate form provided by the Department of Health/Human Services. This form is completed by the Clerk of District Court for each dissolution or annulment and sent to DHHS on or before the 5th day of each month. The information to complete the form is usually provided by the plaintiff or plaintiff's legal counsel. | General Terms, Domestic Relations | |||
| Certification | A first step in a class action in which a court decides that the action is suitable for a class action. | confirmation | confirmation, stamp of approval, verification | General Terms | |
| Certified check | A check guaranteed by a bank, promising that the maker of the check has enough money in the account to cover the check amount. | guaranteed check | guaranteed check | General Terms | |
| Certiorari (writ of) | To be informed of; writ from a higher to a lower court, ordering a transcript of proceedings for review; appellate court order (especially from the Supreme Court) granting a hearing to an appellate. If hearing is denied, the prior ruling stands; if hearing is granted, the lower court is ordered to provide a certified record for the appellate court to consider. | order for record | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| CFR | An abbreviation for the Code of Federal Regulations, the rules and regulations that all federal agencies and the Executive must follow. | General Terms | |||
| Chain of custody | Record showing maintenance of "real evidence" such as seized narcotics or weapons, as opposed to mere documents. Record that shows all that were in contact with the evidence. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Challenge | 1. Someone's right to object to or fight something in a legal case. 2. Objection to including a prospective juror in the jury panel. | object | objection, dispute, question | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Challenge for cause | Reasons that a lawyer gives for removing a juror or judge from a case. Objecting to a juror for a reason. | General Terms | |||
| Chambers | A judge’s office within a courthouse. | judge's office | judge's office | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Champerty | The basis for contingency fee arrangements with attorneys, who represent their clients and are paid from any settlement the plaintiff receives from the case.; an unenforceable agreement by which a person with otherwise no interest in a lawsuit agrees to aid in or carry on its litigation in consideration of a share of the subject matter of the suit (as property or damages). Lawyers are paid from any settlement their client gets.; contingency. | sharing in the proceeds | contingency | General Terms |