Select a word:
said
adj. a reference back to a thing that was previously mentioned or...
sale
n. transfer of something (and title to it) in return for money (o...
salvage
1) v. to save goods. 2) n. payment to a person or group which sav...
sanction
n. 1) a financial penalty imposed by a judge on a party or attorn...
satisfaction
n. receiving payment or performance of what is due.
satisfaction of judgment
n. a document signed by a judgment creditor (the party owed the m...
satisfaction of mortgage
n. a document signed by a lender acknowledging that a mortgage ha...
save harmless
v. 1) also called hold harmless, to indemnify (protect) another f...
savings and loan
n. a banking and lending institution, chartered either by a state...
scienter
n. Latin for "having knowledge." In criminal law, it refers to kn...
scintilla
n. Latin for "spark." Scintilla is commonly used in reference to ...
scope of employment
n. actions of an employee which further the business of the emplo...
scrivener
n. a person who writes a document for another, usually for a fee....
seal
n. a device which creates an impression upon paper or melted wax,...
sealed verdict
n. the decision of a jury when there is a delay in announcing the...
sealing of records
n. trial records and decisions which a judge orders kept secret. ...
search
v. 1) to examine another's premises (including a vehicle) to look...
search and seizure
n. examination of a person's premises (residence, business or veh...
search warrant
n. a written order by a judge which permits a law enforcement off...
second degree murder
n. a non-premeditated killing, resulting from an assault in which...
secondary boycott
n. an organized refusal to purchase the products of, do business ...
secret rebate
n. a kickback of money by a business to a "preferred" customer, n...
secured transaction
n. any loan or credit in which property is pledged as security in...
securities
n. generic term for shares of stock, bonds and debentures issued ...
security deposit
n. a payment required by a landlord from a tenant to cover the ex...
security interest
n. generic term for the property rights of a lender or creditor w...
sedition
n. the federal crime of advocacy of insurrection against the gove...
seduction
n. the use of charm, salesmanship, promises, gifts and flattery t...
seisin
(sees-in) n. an old feudal term for having both possession and ti...
seized
(seised) n. 1) having ownership, commonly used in wills as "I giv...
seizure
n. the taking by law enforcement officers of potential evidence i...
self-dealing
n. in the stock market, using secret "inside" information gained ...
self-defense
n. the use of reasonable force to protect oneself or members of t...
self-executing
adj. immediately effective without further action, legislation or...
self-help
n. 1) obtaining relief or enforcing one's rights without resortin...
self-incrimination
n. making statements or producing evidence which tends to prove t...
self-serving
adj. referring to a question asked of a party to a lawsuit or a s...
sell
v. to transfer possession and ownership of goods or other propert...
seller
n. one who sells goods or other property to a buyer (purchaser).
senior lien
n. the first security interest (lien or claim) placed upon proper...
sentence
1) n. the punishment given to a person convicted of a crime. A se...
separate property
n. in community property states (California, Texas, Arizona, Idah...
separation
n. married persons living apart, either informally by one leaving...
separation agreement
n. an agreement between two married people who have agreed to liv...
sequester
v. to keep separate or apart. In so-called "high-profile" crimina...
sequestration
n. the act of a judge issuing an order that a jury or witness be ...
seriatim
(sear-ee-ah-tim) prep. Latin for "one after another" as in a seri...
servant
n. an employee of an employer, technically one who works for a ma...
service
n. 1) paid work by another person, either by contract or as an em...
service by FAX
n. delivery of legal documents required by statute to be "served"...
service by mail
n. mailing legal pleadings to opposing attorneys or parties, whil...
service by publication
n. serving a summons or other legal document in a lawsuit on a de...
service of process
n. the delivery of copies of legal documents such as summons, com...
services
n. work performed for pay.
servient estate
n. real property which has an easement or other use imposed upon ...
session
n. 1) a meeting (or "sitting") of a court for a particular period...
set
v. to schedule, as to "set a case for trial."
set aside
v. to annul or negate a court order or judgment by another court ...
setoff
(offset) n. a claim by a defendant in a lawsuit that the plaintif...
setting
n. the action of a court, clerk or commissioner in scheduling a t...
settle
v. to resolve a lawsuit without a final court judgment by negotia...
settlement
n. the resolution of a lawsuit (or of a legal dispute prior to fi...
settlor
n. the person who creates a trust by a written trust declaration,...
severable contract
n. an agreement which is made up of several separate contracts be...
several liability
n. referring to responsibility of one party for the entire debt (...
severance
n. 1) a separating by court order, such as separate trials for cr...
sex offender
n. generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex...
sexual harassment
n. unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, gropi...
shall
v. 1) an imperative command as in "you shall not kill." 2) in som...
share
n. 1) a portion of a benefit from a trust, estate, claim or busin...
share and share alike
adj. referring to the equal division of a benefit from an estate,...
shareholder
n. the owner of one or more shares of stock in a corporation, com...
shareholders' agreement
n. an employment agreement among the shareholders of a small corp...
shareholders' derivative action
n. a lawsuit by a corporation's shareholders, theoretically on be...
shareholders' meeting
n. a meeting, usually annual, of all shareholders of a corporatio...
sharp practice
n. actions by a lawyer using misleading statements to opposing co...
Shepardize
n. a method of locating reports of appeals decisions based on pri...
sheriff
n. the top law enforcement officer for a county, usually elected ...
sheriff's sale
n. an auction sale of property held by the sheriff pursuant to a ...
shield laws
n. statutes enacted in some states which declare that communicati...
shifting the burden of proof
n. the result of the plaintiff in a lawsuit meeting its burden of...
short cause
n. a lawsuit which is estimated by the parties (usually their att...
shortening time
n. an order of the court in response to the motion of a party to ...
show cause order
n. an order of the court, also called an order to show cause or O...
sidebar
n. 1) physically, an area in front of or next to the judge's benc...
sign
v. 1) to write one's signature on a document, including an "X" by...
silent partner
n. a non-legal term for an investor who puts money into a busines...
similarly situated
adj. with the same problems and circumstances, referring to the p...
simple trust
n. a trust which requires that all income be distributed each yea...
simultaneous death act
n. a statute in effect in most states which provides that if a hu...
sine qua non
(see-nay kwah nahn) prep. Latin for "without which it could not b...
situs
n. Latin for "location," be it where the crime or accident took p...
slander
n. oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an...
small claims court
n. a division of most municipal, city or other lowest local court...
sodomy
n. anal copulation by a man inserting his penis in the anus eithe...
sole proprietorship
n. a business owned by one person, as distinguished from a partne...
solicitation
n. the crime of encouraging or inducing another to commit a crime...
solicitor
n. an English attorney who may perform all legal services except ...
Solicitor General
n. the chief trial attorney in the federal Department of Justice ...
solitary confinement
n. the placement of a prisoner in a federal or state prison in a ...
solvency
n. 1) having sufficient funds or other assets to pay debts. 2) ha...
sound mind and memory
n. having an understanding of one's actions and reasonable knowle...
sounds in
adj. referring to the underlying legal basis for a lawsuit or one...
speaking demurrer
n. an attempt to introduce evidence during a hearing on a demurre...
special
adj. referring to a particular purpose, person or happening. In l...
special administrator
n. a person appointed by the court in a probate proceeding (manag...
special appearance
n. the representation by an attorney of a person in court for: a)...
special circumstances
n. in criminal cases, particularly homicides, actions of the accu...
special damages
n. damages claimed and/or awarded in a lawsuit which were out-of-...
special master
n. a person appointed by the court to carry out an order of the c...
special prosecutor
n. an attorney from outside of the government selected by the Att...
special verdict
n. the jury's decisions or findings of fact with the application ...
specific bequest
n. the gift in a will of a certain article to a certain person or...
specific devise
n. the gift in a will of a certain piece of real estate to a cert...
specific finding
n. a decision on a fact made by a jury in its verdict and which t...
specific legacy
n. a gift in a will of a certain article or property to a certain...
specific performance
n. the right of a party to a contract to demand that the defendan...
speculative damages
n. possible financial loss or expenses claimed by a plaintiff (pe...
speedy trial
n. in criminal prosecutions, the right of a defendant to demand a...
spendthrift clause
n. a provision in a trust or will that states that if a prospecti...
spontaneous exclamation
n. a sudden statement caused by the speaker having seen a surpris...
spot zoning
n. a provision in a general plan which benefits a single parcel o...
spousal support
n. payment for support of an ex-spouse (or a spouse while a divor...
springing interest
n. a future right to title to real property created by a deed or ...
stakeholder
n. a person having in his/her possession (holding) money or prope...
standard of care
n. the watchfulness, attention, caution and prudence that a reaso...
standing
n. the right to file a lawsuit or file a petition under the circu...
star chamber proceedings
n. any judicial or quasi-judicial action, trial or hearing which ...
stare decisis
: (stah-ree duh-sigh-sis) n. Latin for "to stand by a decision," ...
state
n. 1) the federal or state government and any of its departments,...
state action
n. in federal Civil Rights Acts, dating back to 1875, any activit...
state of domicile
n. the state in which a person has his/her permanent residence or...
status conference
n. a pre-trial meeting of attorneys before a judge required under...
statute
n. a federal or state written law enacted by the Congress or stat...
statute of frauds
n. law in every state which requires that certain documents be in...
statute of limitations
n. a law which sets the maximum period which one can wait before ...
statutory offer of settlement
n. a written offer of a specific sum of money made by a defendant...
statutory rape
n. sexual intercourse with a female below the legal age of consen...
stay
n. a court-ordered short-term delay in judicial proceedings to gi...
stay away order
n. a court order that a person may not come near and/or contact a...
stay of execution
n. a court-ordered delay in inflicting the death penalty.
stipulation
n. an agreement, usually on a procedural matter, between the atto...
stock
1) n. inventory (goods) of a business meant for sale (as distingu...
stock certificate
n. printed document which states the name, incorporation state, d...
stock in trade
n. the inventory of merchandise held for sale.
stock option
n. the right to purchase stock in the future at a price set at th...
stockholder
n. shareholder in a corporation.
stop and frisk
n. a law enforcement officer's search for a weapon confined to a ...
straw man
n. 1) a person to whom title to property or a business interest i...
street
n. a roadway in an urban area, owned and maintained by the munici...
strict construction
(narrow construction) n. interpreting the Constitution based on a...
strict liability
n. automatic responsibility (without having to prove negligence) ...
strike
1) v. to remove a statement from the record of the court proceedi...
structure
n. anything built by man/woman, from a shed to a highrise or a br...
sua sponte
: (sooh-uh spahn-tay) adj. Latin for "of one's own will," meaning...
subchapter S corporation
n. the choice by a small corporation to be treated under "subchap...
subcontractor
n. a person or business which has a contract (as an "independent ...
subject to
adj. referring to the acquisition of title to real property upon ...
sublease
n. the lease to another of all or a portion of premises by a tena...
submitted
n. the conclusion of all evidence and argument in a hearing or tr...
subordination
n. allowing a debt or claim which has priority to take second pos...
subordination agreement
n. a written contract in which a lender who has secured a loan by...
subornation of perjury
n. the crime of encouraging, inducing or assisting another in the...
subpena
(subpoena): (suh-pea-nah) n. an order of the court for a witness ...
subpena duces tecum
: (suh-pea-nah dooh-chess-take-uhm or dooh-kess-take-uhm): a cour...
subpoena
n. the original spelling of subpena, still commonly used.
subrogation
n. assuming the legal rights of a person for whom expenses or a d...
subrogee
n. the person or entity that assumes the legal right to attempt t...
subrogor
n. a person or entity that transfers his/her/its legal right to c...
subscribe
v. 1) to sign at the end of a document. The courts have been flex...
substantial performance
n. in the law of contracts, fulfillment of the obligations agreed...
substantive law
n. law which establishes principles and creates and defines right...
substitute in
v. to take over a case from another lawyer, which must be confirm...
substituted service
n. accomplishing service (delivery) of legal documents required t...
substitution
n. putting one person in place of another, in particular replacem...
substitution of attorney
n. a document in which the party to a lawsuit states that his/her...
succession
n. the statutory rules of inheritance of a dead person's estate w...
successive sentences
n. in criminal law, the imposition of the penalty for each of sev...
suffering
n. the pain, hurt, inconvenience, embarrassment and/or inability ...
sui generis
(sooh-ee jen-ur-iss) n. Latin for "one of a kind," unique.
suicide
n. the intentional killing of oneself. Ironically, in most states...
suit
n. generic term for any filing of a complaint (or petition) askin...
sum certain
n. a specific amount stated in a contract or negotiable instrumen...
summary adjudication of issues
n. a court order ruling that certain factual issues are already d...
summary judgment
n. a court order ruling that no factual issues remain to be tried...
summation
n. the final argument of an attorney at the close of a trial in w...
summons
n. a document issued by the court at the time a lawsuit is filed,...
Superior Court
n. the name used in 16 states for the basic county trial court.
supersedeas
(sooh-purr-said-ee-uhs) Latin for "you shall desist," an order (w...
superseding cause
n. the same as an "intervening cause" or "supervening cause," whi...
supplemental
adj. referring to anything that is added to complete something, p...
suppression of evidence
n. 1) a judge's determination not to allow evidence to be admitte...
supra
(sooh-prah) Latin for "above," in legal briefs and decisions it r...
supremacy clause
n. Article VI, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which reads: "...
Supreme Court
n. 1) the highest court in the United States, which has the ultim...
surcharge
n. an additional charge of money made because it was omitted in t...
surety
n. a guarantor of payment or performance if another fails to pay ...
surplusage
n. a term used in analyzing legal documents and pleadings to refe...
surrebutal
n. in written or oral legal argument, the response to the other p...
surrender
v. 1) to turn over possession of real property, either voluntaril...
surrogate
n. 1) a person acting on behalf of another or a substitute, inclu...
surrogate court
n. a court in a few states (including New York) with jurisdiction...
survivor
n. a person who outlives another, as in "to my sons, Arnold and Z...
survivorship
n. the right to receive full title or ownership due to having sur...
suspended sentence
n. in criminal law, a penalty applied by a judge to a defendant c...
sustain
v. in trial practice, for a judge to agree that an attorney's obj...
swear
v. 1) to declare under oath that one will tell the truth (sometim...
swindle
v. to cheat through trick, device, false statements or other frau...
syndicate
n. a joint venture among individuals and/or corporations to accom...
|
From the Law.com Newswire
|