Question | Answer |
Adjudicate | Judge. |
Appellate Jurisdiction | Authority of a court to review cases tried in lower courts. |
Bailiff | The peace officer of the court responsible for keeping order and maintaing appropriate courtroom decorum. |
Bar | A collective noun that refers to all attorneys admitted to practice law in a given state or court room. |
Bar Association | Organization of attorneys admitted to practice law in a given state or court room. |
Bench | A term that refers indirectly to the judge in a given court. |
Bench Trial | Trial by a judge, rather than a jury. |
Case Law | Law established by judicial decisions made in court cases. |
Chambers | A judges office, a private area to which attorneys and parties are admitted only by invitation. |
Civil Action | An action brought by one party against another to resolve a controversy. |
Civil Law | Law that is based on a series of written codes or laws. |
Clerk of Court | Administrator or chief clerical officer of the court. |
Closed Hearing | A hearing at which members of the general public are not allowed as spectators. |
Common Law | Law based on precedent; case law |
Constitutional Law | Law set forth in the Constitution of the United States and in state constitutions. |
Contempt of Court | The refusal to obey a court order. |
Court | Tribunal with judicial authority to handle the administration of justice. |
Court Reporter | A person who usually sits in court while it is in session and records al proceedings verbatim. |
Court Rules | Regulations with the force of law governing practice and procedure in the various courts. |
Criminal Action | Generally brought by the people through a government (either federal or state) against the person or persons accused of a crime. |
Diversity of Citizenship | A term used to indicate that at least two parties to a law suit are citizens of more than one state. |
Docket | (1) a trial docket is a calendar of cases to be tried in a certain term of court or a specific courtroom. (2) in a law office, the docket is the day's agenda, including appointments, hearings, and files to be handled. |
Doctrine of Stare Decisis | A doctrine that requires courts to stand by earlier court decisions when hearing cases with similar fact situations. |
Ex Parte | Referring to an action taken without the participation of both parties to litigation. In due course, the other party must be notified of the action. In some instances, ex part actions are impermissible and disciplinable. |
Exclusive Jurisdiction | The authority granted to a court to hear certain matters to the exclusion of all other courts. |
General Jurisdiction | A jurisdiction without limitation as to the types of cases or monetary limits on cases a court can hear (sometimes referred to as unlimited jurisdiction). |
Jurisdiction | The power and authority of a court to hear and try a case. |
Jurisdiction in Personam | The authority of a court to render a judgement against a person or to subject the disputing parties to the decisions and rulings made by it. |
Jurisdiction in Rem | The authority of a court to render a judgment concerning property over which it has jurisdiction. |
Limited Jurisdiction | Jurisdiction in which a court is restricted in the type of case in can hear or in the amount of money involved in the litigation. |
Monetary Jurisdiction | The limitation on dollar amounts that a court may award. |
Motion Days | Days set, typically by state courts, for the regular hearing of motions and other specified legal matters |
Officers of the Court | Individuals who are involved in the court system, including judges, clerks, attorneys, bailiffs, sheriffs, and marshals. |
Open Hearing | A hearing the public may attend. |
Original Jurisdictions | The authority granted to a court to hear and determine a matter for the first time. |
Precedent | Law created by case decisions previously made. |
Pro Se | Term used to designate a person who represents himself or herself in court. |
Procedural Law | That body of laws that defines and describes the process to be followed to enforce substantive law. |
Statutory Law | Law enacted by Congress, state legislatures, and local governments. |
Subject Matter Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to render a binding judgment over the matter in dispute |
Substantive Law | The statutory or written law that governs rights and obligations of those who are subject to it. |
Term of Court | The term of court refers to a specific session in which a court is hearing cases. |
Territorial Jurisdiction | The actual geographic area over which the court has authority. |
Venue | Authority of a court to hear a matter based on geographical location. |
Writ of Certiorari | An order by the appellate court requiring the lower or trial court to surrender jurisdiction to the appellate court for the duration of the appeal. |