Merriam-Webster’s Law Dictionary: Legal Terms in Plain English

Judges will generally “follow precedent” – meaning that they use the principles established in earlier cases to decide new cases that have similar facts and raise similar legal issues. A judge will disregard precedent if a party can show that the earlier case was wrongly decided, or that it differed in some significant way from the current case.

law | American Dictionary

Constitution, U.S. laws, rules or regulations, or a treaty signed by the U.S., and the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction, then the case must be litigated in federal court. Read more about legal dictionary here. A legal dictionary contains the definitions of legal terms taken from a variety of sources.

Join a TR community

Now providing more information than ever before, this edition features recommended web links for many entries, as well as including a list of general links in the end matter. Statement of intention A declaration made by a chapter 7 debtor concerning plans for dealing with consumer debts that are secured by property of the estate. Redemption A procedure in a Chapter 7 case whereby a debtor removes a secured creditor’s lien on collateral by paying the creditor the value of the property. Priority The Bankruptcy Code’s statutory ranking of unsecured claims that determines the order in which unsecured claims will be paid if there is not enough money to pay all unsecured claims in full. Petit jury A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of at least six persons.

Rule applies to more restricted or specific situations. ˈlawless adjective paying no attention to, and not keeping, the law.

Unlike criminal matters and the policing of trades and markets, religious courts had no executive powers in matters of family law. I call the relevant facts “law-determining practices” rather than “legal decisions” because the term “decisions” tends to suggest judicial decisions in particular. The Utah Supreme Court has authorized Rocket Lawyer to provide legal services, including the practice of law, as a nonlawyer-owned company; further information regarding this authorization can be found in our Terms of Service. Legal information and other services are delivered by or through Rocket Lawyer via RocketLawyer.com. Several English and Russian legal dictionariesA law dictionary is a dictionary that is designed and compiled to give information about terms used in the field of law. Now in its ninth edition, this A–Z has been fully updated to incorporate the latest legislation, such as The Modern Slavery Act 2015, the EU referendum, and changes in consumer, immigration, and family law.

Assume An agreement to continue performing duties under a contract or lease. Article III judge A federal judge who is appointed for life, during “good behavior,” under Article III of the Constitution. Article III judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Amicus curiae Latin for “friend of the court.” It is advice formally offered to the court in a brief filed by an entity interested in, but not a party to, the case. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘law.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Schools are required by law to provide a safe learning environment. She has proposed a new law to protect people from being evicted unfairly.

Treatment may include psychiatric, psychological, and sex offense-specific evaluations, inpatient or outpatient counseling, and medication. Liquidated claim A creditor’s claim for a fixed amount of money. Jurisdiction 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. Information A formal accusation by a government attorney that the defendant committed a misdemeanor.