Judicial lien A lien obtained by judgment or other judicial process against a debtor.
Judicial review The authority of a court to review the official actions of other branches of government. Also, the authority to declare unconstitutional the actions of other branches.
Judiciary The branch of government invested with judicial power to interpret and apply the law; the court system; the body of judges; then bench.
Jurat Certificate of person and officer before whom a writing is sworn to.
Jurisdiction The power or authority of a court to hear and try a case; the geographic area in which a court has power or the types of cases it has power to hear.
Jurisprudence The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
Jury A certain number of men and women selected according to law and sworn to try a question of fact or indict a person for public offense.
Justiciable Issues and claims capable of being properly examined in court.
Key number system A research aid developed by West Publishing Company which classifies digests of cases in to various law topics and subtopics which are given paragraph numbers called "Key Numbers." Each key number for a given topic helps the researcher quickly find all references to the legal matter being researched.
Kidnapping The unlawful and carrying away of a human being by force and against his will.
Knowingly With knowledge, willfully or intentionally with respect to a material element of an offense.
Lapsed gift A gift made in a will to a person who has died prior to the willmakers death.
Larceny Obtaining property by fraud or deceit.
Law The combination of those rules and principles of conduct promulgated by legislative authority, derived from court decisions and established by local custom.
Law Blank A printed legal form available for preparing documents.
Law Clerk In the United States, usually a law school student employed by a law firm to do research and other tasks. In the courts, a lawyer (or law school student) employed to do legal research.
Lawsuit An action or proceeding in a civil court; term used for a suit or action between two private parties in a court of law.
Leading question A question that suggests the answer desired of the witness. A party generally may not ask one's own witness leading questions. Leading questions may be asked only of hostile witnesses and on crossexamination.
Legal aid Professional legal services available usually to persons or organizations unable to afford such services.
Legal process A formal paper that is legally valid; something issuing from the court, usually a command such as a writ or mandate.
Legal texts Books that cover specific areas of the law, usually dealing with a single topic.
Legislation The act of giving or enacting laws; the power to make laws via legislation in contrast to courtmade laws.
Legitimate That which is legal, lawful, recognized by law or according to law.
Leniency Recommendation for a sentence less than the maximum allowed.
Letters of Administration Legal document issued by a court that shows an administrator's legal right to take control of assets in the deceased person's name.
Letters Testamentary Legal document issued by a court that shows an executor's legal right to take control of assets in the deceased person's name.
Liable Legally responsible.
Libel Published defamation which tends to injure a person's reputation.
Licensing boards State agencies created to regulate the issuance of licenses, i.e., to contractors, cosmetologists, realtors, etc.
Lien An encumbrance or legal burden upon property.
Limited Jurisdiction Refers to courts that are limited in the types of criminal and civil cases they may hear. For example, traffic violations generally are heard by limited jurisdiction courts.
Lis pendens A pending suit.
Litigant A party to a lawsuit.
Litigation A lawsuit; a legal action, including all proceedings therein.
Living trust A trust set up and in effect during the lifetime of the grantor. (Also called inter vivos trust.)
Looseleaf services Looseleaf replacement pages provided by a publisher in areas of the law where changes occur at a rapid rate.
Magistrate Judicial officer exercising some of the functions of a judge. It also refers in a general way to a judge.
Malfeasance The commission of an unlawful act.
Malicious prosecution An action instituted with intention of injuring the defendant and without probable cause, and which terminates in favor of the person prosecuted.
Malpractice Any professional misconduct.
Mandamus A writ by which a court commands the performance of a particular act.
Manslaughter The unlawful killing of another without intent to kill; either voluntary (upon a sudden impulse); or involuntary (during the commission of an unlawful act not ordinarily expected to result in great bodily harm).
Marshal The executive officer of the federal court.
MartindaleHubbell Lawyer Directory A publication of several volumes which contains names, addresses, specialties, and rating of United States lawyers; also includes digests of state and foreign statutory law.
Material evidence Evidence which is relevant to the issues in a case.
Mediation A form of alternative dispute resolution in which the parties bring their dispute to a neutral third party, who helps them agree on a settlement.
Memorandum An informal note or instrument embodying something the parties desire to have in written evidence. Memorialized In writing.
Mens rea Literally in Latin, "guilty mind." The intent required to commit the crime. It is a prerequisite to conviction for a crime involving a moral wrong, but it is not a prerequisite to conviction for an act that is a crime only because a statute designates it to be a crime, e.g., overtime parking.
Merger The absorption of one thing or right into another.
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