U.S. Courts terms
Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in
each of the black spaces below before clicking
on it to display the answer.
Help!
|
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
show | In a bankruptcy proceeding, a meeting of creditors at which the debtor is questioned under oath by creditors, a trustee, an examiner, or the U.S. Trustee about his or her financial affairs.
🗑
|
||||
show | A jury verdict that a criminal defendant is not guilty, or the finding of a judge that the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction.
🗑
|
||||
Active Judge | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The federal agency responsible for collecting court statistics, administering the federal courts' budget, and performing other administrative and programmatic functions, under the direction & supervision of the Judicial Conference of the United States.
🗑
|
||||
show | A term used to describe evidence that may be considered by a jury or judge in civil and criminal cases.
🗑
|
||||
Adversary proceeding | show 🗑
|
||||
Affidavit | show 🗑
|
||||
Affirmed | show 🗑
|
||||
Alternate Juror | show 🗑
|
||||
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) | show 🗑
|
||||
Amicus Curiae | show 🗑
|
||||
Answer | show 🗑
|
||||
Appeal | show 🗑
|
||||
Appellant | show 🗑
|
||||
Appellate | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The party who opposes an appellant's appeal, and who seeks to persuade the appeals court to affirm the district court's decision.
🗑
|
||||
show | A proceeding in which a criminal defendant is brought into court, told of the charges in an indictment or information, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
🗑
|
||||
Article III Judge | show 🗑
|
||||
Assets | show 🗑
|
||||
Assume | show 🗑
|
||||
Automatic stay | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The release, prior to trial, of a person accused of a crime, under specified conditions designed to assure that person's appearance in court when required. Also can refer to the amount of bond money posted as a financial condition of pretrial release.
🗑
|
||||
show | A legal procedure for dealing with debt problems of individuals and businesses; specifically, a case filed under one of the chapters of title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code).
🗑
|
||||
Bankruptcy administrator | show 🗑
|
||||
Bankruptcy code | show 🗑
|
||||
Bankruptcy court | show 🗑
|
||||
Bankruptcy estate | show 🗑
|
||||
Bankruptcy judge | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A formal request for the protection of the federal bankruptcy laws. (There is an official form for bankruptcy petitions.)
🗑
|
||||
show | A private individual or corporation appointed in all Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases to represent the interests of the bankruptcy estate and the debtor's creditors.
🗑
|
||||
Bench Trial | show 🗑
|
||||
Brief | show 🗑
|
||||
Burden of Proof | show 🗑
|
||||
Business bankruptcy | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A crime punishable by death.
🗑
|
||||
show | A complete collection of every document filed in court in a case.
🗑
|
||||
Case Law | show 🗑
|
||||
Caseload | show 🗑
|
||||
Cause of Action | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The offices of a judge and his or her staff.
🗑
|
||||
show | The chapter of the Bankruptcy Code providing for "liquidation," that is, the sale of a debtor's nonexempt property and the distribution of the proceeds to creditors. In order to be eligible, debtor must satisfy a "means test."
🗑
|
||||
Chapter 7 trustee | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The chapter of the Bankruptcy Code providing for reorganization of municipalities (which includes cities and towns, as well as villages, counties, taxing districts, municipal utilities, and school districts).
🗑
|
||||
Chapter 11 | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The chapter of the Bankruptcy Code providing for adjustment of debts of a "family farmer," as that term is defined in the Bankruptcy Code.
🗑
|
||||
show | The chapter of the Bankruptcy Code providing for adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income, often referred to as a "wage-earner" plan. Allows debtor to keep property and use disposable income to pay debts over time, usually 3-5 years.
🗑
|
||||
Chapter 15 | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court; chief judges are determined by seniority.
🗑
|
||||
Claim | show 🗑
|
||||
Class Action | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The court officer who oversees administrative functions, especially managing the flow of cases through the court. The clerk's office is often called a court's central nervous system.
🗑
|
||||
Collateral | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States that relies on the articulation of legal principles in a historical succession of judicial decisions. Common law principles can be changed by legislation.
🗑
|
||||
show | special condition the court imposes that requires an individual to work–without pay–for a civic or nonprofit organization.
🗑
|
||||
show | A written statement that begins a civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff details the claims against the defendant.
🗑
|
||||
show | Prison terms for two or more offenses to be served at the same time, rather than one after the other. Example: Two five-year sentences and one three-year sentence, if served concurrently, result in a maximum of five years behind bars.
🗑
|
||||
show | Approval of a plan of reorganization by a bankruptcy judge.
🗑
|
||||
Consecutive sentence | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A bankruptcy case filed to reduce or eliminate debts that are primarily consumer debts.
🗑
|
||||
show | Debts incurred for personal, as opposed to business, needs.
🗑
|
||||
Contingent claim | show 🗑
|
||||
Contract | show 🗑
|
||||
Conviction | show 🗑
|
||||
Counsel | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Government entity authorized to resolve legal disputes. Judges sometimes use "court" to refer to themselves in the third person, as in "the court has read the briefs."
🗑
|
||||
show | A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court, generally by using a stenographic machine, shorthand or audio recording, and then produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
🗑
|
||||
Count | show 🗑
|
||||
Creditor | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Money that a defendant pays a plaintiff in a civil case if the plaintiff has won. Damages may be compensatory (for loss or injury) or punitive (to punish and deter future misconduct).
🗑
|
||||
show | A person who has filed a petition for relief under the Bankruptcy Code. defendant An individual (or business) against whom a lawsuit is filed.
🗑
|
||||
show | A debtor's detailed description of how the debtor proposes to pay creditors' claims over a fixed period of time.
🗑
|
||||
show | A judge's statement about someone's rights. For example, a plaintiff may seek a declaratory judgment that a particular statute, as written, violates some constitutional right.
🗑
|
||||
show | Latin, meaning "in fact" or "actually." Something that exists in fact but not as a matter of law.
🗑
|
||||
Default Judgment | show 🗑
|
||||
Defendant | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Latin, meaning "in law." Something that exists by operation of law.
🗑
|
||||
De Novo | show 🗑
|
||||
show | An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial. See discovery.
🗑
|
||||
show | A release of a debtor from personal liability for certain debts. Notable exceptions are taxes and student loans. Releases debtor from personal liability for certain debts & prevents creditors from taking any action against the debtor.
🗑
|
||||
Dischargeable debt | show 🗑
|
||||
Disclosure statement | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Procedures used to obtain disclosure of evidence before trial.
🗑
|
||||
Dismissal with Prejudice | show 🗑
|
||||
Dismissal without Prejudice | show 🗑
|
||||
Disposable income | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A log containing the complete history of each case in the form of brief chronological entries summarizing the court proceedings.
🗑
|
||||
show | In criminal law, the constitutional guarantee that a defendant will receive a fair and impartial trial. In civil law, the legal rights of someone who confronts an adverse action threatening liberty or property.
🗑
|
||||
En Banc | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The value of a debtor's interest in property that remains after liens and other creditors' interests are considered. (Example: If a house valued at $60,000 is subject to a $30,000 mortgage, there is $30,000 of equity.)
🗑
|
||||
show | Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case in favor of one side or the other.
🗑
|
||||
Exclusionary Rule | show 🗑
|
||||
Exculpatory Evidence | show 🗑
|
||||
Executory contracts | show 🗑
|
||||
Exempt assets | show 🗑
|
||||
Exemptions, exempt property | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A proceeding brought before a court by one party only, without notice to or challenge by the other side.
🗑
|
||||
Face sheet filing | show 🗑
|
||||
show | An individual, individual and spouse, corporation, or partnership engaged in a farming operation that meets certain debt limits and other statutory criteria for filing a petition under Chapter 12.
🗑
|
||||
show | An attorney employed by the federal courts on a full-time basis to provide legal defense to defendants who are unable to afford counsel. The judiciary administers the federal defender program pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act.
🗑
|
||||
show | Jurisdiction given to federal courts in cases involving the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, and treaties.
🗑
|
||||
show | A serious crime, usually punishable by at least one year in prison.
🗑
|
||||
show | To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court to enter into the files or records of a case.
🗑
|
||||
Fraudulent transfer | show 🗑
|
||||
Fresh start | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A body of 16-23 citizens who listen to evidence of criminal allegations, which is presented by the prosecutors, and determine whether there is probable cause to believe an individual committed an offense. See also indictment and U.S. attorney.
🗑
|
||||
show | Latin, meaning "you have the body." A writ of habeas corpus generally is a judicial order forcing law enforcement authorities to produce a prisoner they are holding, and to justify the prisoner's continued confinement.
🗑
|
||||
show | Evidence presented by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. With some exceptions, hearsay generally is not admissible as evidence at trial.
🗑
|
||||
In Camera | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Evidence indicating that a defendant did commit the crime.
🗑
|
||||
Indictment | show 🗑
|
||||
In forma pauperis | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A formal accusation by a government attorney that the defendant committed a misdemeanor. See also indictment.
🗑
|
||||
show | A court order preventing one or more named parties from taking some action. A preliminary injunction often is issued to allow fact-finding, so a judge can determine whether a permanent injunction is justified.
🗑
|
||||
Insider (of corporate debtor) | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Any relative of the debtor or of a general partner of the debtor; partnership inwhich the debtor is a general partner; general partner of the debtor; or corporation of which the debtor is a director, officer, or person in control.
🗑
|
||||
show | A form of discovery consisting of written questions to be answered in writing and under oath.
🗑
|
||||
Issue | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A court-approved mechanism under which two or more cases can be administered together. (Assuming no conflicts of interest, these separate businesses or individuals can pool their resources, hire the same professionals, etc.)
🗑
|
||||
show | One bankruptcy petition filed by a husband and wife together.
🗑
|
||||
show | An official of the judicial branch with authority to decide lawsuits brought before courts. Used generically, the term judge may also refer to all judicial officers, including Supreme Court justices.
🗑
|
||||
Judgeship | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The official decision of a court finally resolving the dispute between the parties to the lawsuit.
🗑
|
||||
Judicial Conference of the United States | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a certain type of case. It also is used as a synonym for venue, meaning the geographic area over which the court has territorial jurisdiction to decide cases.
🗑
|
||||
Jurisprudence | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The group of persons selected to hear the evidence in a trial and render a verdict on matters of fact. See also grand jury.
🗑
|
||||
show | A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply.
🗑
|
||||
show | A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty which resulted in harm to the plaintiff.
🗑
|
||||
show | A charge on specific property that is designed to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation. A debtor may still be responsible for a lien after a discharge.
🗑
|
||||
show | A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
🗑
|
||||
Liquidation | show 🗑
|
||||
Liquidated claim | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A judicial officer of a district court who conducts initial proceedings in criminal cases, decides criminal misdemeanor cases, conducts many pretrial civil and criminal matters on behalf of district judges, and decides civil cases with the consent of the
🗑
|
||||
Means test | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Special condition the court imposes to require an individual to undergo evaluation and treatment for a mental disorder. Treatment may include psychiatric, psychological, and sex offense-specific evaluations, inpatient or outpatient counseling, and medicat
🗑
|
||||
show | An offense punishable by one year of imprisonment or less. See also felony.
🗑
|
||||
Mistrial | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Not subject to a court ruling because the controversy has not actually arisen, or has ended.
🗑
|
||||
show | A request by a litigant to a judge for a decision on an issue relating to the case.
🗑
|
||||
show | A request by a creditor to allow the creditor to take action against the debtor or the debtor's property that would otherwise be prohibited by the automatic stay.
🗑
|
||||
Motion in Limine | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A Chapter 7 case in which there are no assets available to satisfy any portion of the creditors' unsecured claims.
🗑
|
||||
Nolo contendere | show 🗑
|
||||
Nondischargeable debt | show 🗑
|
||||
Nonexempt assets | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A trustee's or creditor's objection to the debtor being released from personal liability for certain dischargeable debts. Common reasons include allegations that the debt to be discharged was incurred by false pretenses or that debt arose because of the d
🗑
|
||||
show | A trustee's or creditor's objection to the debtor's attempt to claim certain property as exempt from liquidation by the trustee to creditors.
🗑
|
||||
show | A judge's written explanation of the decision of the court. Because a case may be heard by three or more judges in the court of appeals, the opinion in appellate decisions can take several forms. If all the judges completely agree on the result, one judge
🗑
|
||||
show | An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
🗑
|
||||
show | 1. In appellate cases, a group of judges (usually three) assigned to decide the case; 2. In the jury selection process, the group of potential jurors; 3. The list of attorneys who are both available and qualified to serve as court-appointed counsel for cr
🗑
|
||||
show | The release of a prison inmate–granted by the U.S. Parole Commission–after the inmate has completed part of his or her sentence in a federal prison. When the parolee is released to the community, he or she is placed under the supervision of a U.S. probati
🗑
|
||||
show | Latin, meaning "for the court." In appellate courts, often refers to an unsigned opinion.
🗑
|
||||
show | A district court may grant each side in a civil or criminal trial the right to exclude a certain number of prospective jurors without cause or giving a reason.
🗑
|
||||
Petit Jury (or trial jury) | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The document that initiates the filing of a bankruptcy proceeding, setting forth basic information regarding the debtor, including name, address, chapter under which the case is filed, and estimated amount of assets and liabilities.
🗑
|
||||
show | A federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison.
🗑
|
||||
show | A person or business that files a formal complaint with the court.
🗑
|
||||
show | A debtor's detailed description of how the debtor proposes to pay creditors' claims over a fixed period of time.
🗑
|
||||
Plea | show 🗑
|
||||
Pleadings | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A transfer of the debtor's property made after the commencement of the case.
🗑
|
||||
show | The arrangement (or rearrangement) of a debtor's property to allow the debtor to take maximum advantage of exemptions. (Prebankruptcy planning typically includes converting nonexempt assets into exempt assets.)
🗑
|
||||
show | A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court. Judges will generally "follow precedent" - meaning that they use the principles established in earlier cases to decide new cases that have simil
🗑
|
||||
Preferential debt payment | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence.
🗑
|
||||
Pretrial conference | show 🗑
|
||||
Pretrial services | show 🗑
|
||||
Priority | show 🗑
|
||||
show | An unsecured claim that is entitled to be paid ahead of other unsecured claims that are not entitled to priority status. Priority refers to the order in which these unsecured claims are to be paid.
🗑
|
||||
Probation | show 🗑
|
||||
Probation officer | show 🗑
|
||||
Procedure | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A written statement describing the reason a debtor owes a creditor money, which typically sets forth the amount of money owed. (There is an official form for this purpose.)
🗑
|
||||
show | A slang expression sometimes used to refer to a pro se litigant. It is a corruption of the Latin phrase "in propria persona."
🗑
|
||||
Property of the estate | show 🗑
|
||||
Pro Se | show 🗑
|
||||
show | To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
🗑
|
||||
show | Temporary.
🗑
|
||||
Reaffirmation agreement | show 🗑
|
||||
Record | show 🗑
|
||||
Redemption | show 🗑
|
||||
Remand | show 🗑
|
||||
show | The act of a court setting aside the decision of a lower court. A reversal is often accompanied by a remand to the lower court for further proceedings.
🗑
|
||||
show | A penalty or other type of enforcement used to bring about compliance with the law or with rules and regulations.
🗑
|
||||
Schedules | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A secured creditor is an individual or business that holds a claim against the debtor that is secured by a lien on property of the estate. The property subject to the lien is the secured creditor's collateral.
🗑
|
||||
show | Debt backed by a mortgage, pledge of collateral, or other lien; debt for which the creditor has the right to pursue specific pledged property upon default. Examples include home mortgages, auto loans and tax liens.
🗑
|
||||
show | A federal judge who, after attaining the requisite age and length of judicial experience, takes senior status, thus creating a vacancy among a court's active judges. A senior judge retains the judicial office and may cut back his or her workload by as muc
🗑
|
||||
Sentence | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A set of rules and principles established by the United States Sentencing Commission that trial judges use to determine the sentence for a convicted defendant.
🗑
|
||||
Service of process | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Parties to a lawsuit resolve their dispute without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in at least partial satisfaction of the other party's claims, but usually do not include the admission of fault.
🗑
|
||||
show | To separate. Sometimes juries are sequestered from outside influences during their deliberations.
🗑
|
||||
show | A series of questions the debtor must answer in writing concerning sources of income, transfers of property, lawsuits by creditors, etc. (There is an official form a debtor must use.)
🗑
|
||||
Statement of intention | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Degree of proof required. In criminal cases, prosecutors must prove a defendant's guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt." The majority of civil lawsuits require proof "by a preponderance of the evidence" (50 percent plus), but in some the standard is higher an
🗑
|
||||
Statute | show 🗑
|
||||
Statute of Limitations | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Latin, meaning "of its own will." Often refers to a court taking an action in a case without being asked to do so by either side.
🗑
|
||||
Subordination | show 🗑
|
||||
Subpoena | show 🗑
|
||||
Subpoena duces tecum | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A special condition the court imposes that requires an individual to undergo testing and treatment for abuse of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol. Treatment may include inpatient or outpatient counseling and detoxification.
🗑
|
||||
show | The characterization of a bankruptcy case filed by an individual whose debts are primarily consumer debts where the court finds that the granting of relief would be an abuse of chapter 7 because, for example, the debtor can pay its debts.
🗑
|
||||
Substantive consolidation | show 🗑
|
||||
Summary judgment | show 🗑
|
||||
show | term of supervision served after a person is released from prison. The court imposes supervised release during sentencing in addition to the sentence of imprisonment. Unlike parole, supervised release does not replace a portion of the sentence of imprison
🗑
|
||||
show | Akin to a preliminary injunction, it is a judge's short-term order forbidding certain actions until a full hearing can be conducted. Often referred to as a TRO.
🗑
|
||||
show | Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
🗑
|
||||
Toll | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A civil, not criminal, wrong. A negligent or intentional injury against a person or property, with the exception of breach of contract.
🗑
|
||||
Transfer | show 🗑
|
||||
Transcript | show 🗑
|
||||
Trustee | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A business not authorized to practice law that prepares bankruptcy petitions.
🗑
|
||||
show | A lawyer appointed by the President in each judicial district to prosecute and defend cases for the federal government. The U.S. Attorney employs a staff of Assistant U.S. Attorneys who appear as the government's attorneys in individual cases.
🗑
|
||||
U.S. trustee | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A debt secured by property that is worth less than the amount of the debt.
🗑
|
||||
Undue hardship | show 🗑
|
||||
Unlawful detainer action | show 🗑
|
||||
Unliquidated claim | show 🗑
|
||||
Unscheduled debt | show 🗑
|
||||
show | A claim or debt for which a creditor holds no special assurance of payment, such as a mortgage or lien; a debt for which credit was extended based solely upon the creditor's assessment of the debtor's future ability to pay.
🗑
|
||||
show | The appellate court agrees with the lower court decision and allows it to stand. See affirmed.
🗑
|
||||
show | The geographic area in which a court has jurisdiction. A change of venue is a change or transfer of a case from one judicial district to another.
🗑
|
||||
show | The decision of a trial jury or a judge that determines the guilt or innocence of a criminal defendant, or that determines the final outcome of a civil case.
🗑
|
||||
Voir Dire | show 🗑
|
||||
Voluntary transfer | show 🗑
|
||||
Wage garnishment | show 🗑
|
||||
show | Court authorization, most often for law enforcement officers, to conduct a search or make an arrest.
🗑
|
||||
Witness | show 🗑
|
Review the information in the table. When you are ready to quiz yourself you can hide individual columns or the entire table. Then you can click on the empty cells to reveal the answer. Try to recall what will be displayed before clicking the empty cell.
To hide a column, click on the column name.
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.
To hide a column, click on the column name.
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Created by:
Paralegal
Popular LSAT sets