⭐ Standing - Answers Plaintiff must have a personal stake in the claim | Situation: A person not
harmed tries to sue → no standing
⭐ Personal Jurisdiction - Answers Court's power over the parties | Situation: Defendant lives or does
business in the state
⭐ In Personam Jurisdiction - Answers Jurisdiction over a person | Situation: Lawsuit filed where
defendant resides
⭐ Minimum Contacts - Answers Defendant has sufficient contacts with the forum state | Situation:
Company regularly sells products in the state
⭐ Long-Arm Statute - Answers Allows courts to reach out-of-state defendants | Situation: Online
seller ships goods into the state
⭐ Diversity Jurisdiction - Answers Federal jurisdiction when parties are from different states and the
amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 | Situation: GA plaintiff sues FL defendant for $200,000
⭐ Venue - Answers Proper geographic location for the trial | Situation: Case filed where accident
occurred
⭐ Administrative Law - Answers Law governing administrative agencies, including rules, regulations,
and agency actions | Situation: Court reviews agency rule or decision
⭐ Public Law - Answers Law involving the government | Situation: Criminal prosecution
⭐ Private Law - Answers Law involving disputes between private individuals | Situation: Contract
lawsuit
⭐ Substantive Law - Answers Defines legal rights and duties | Situation: Law defining breach of
contract
⭐ Procedural Law - Answers Rules for enforcing substantive law | Situation: Rules for filing motions
or appeals
⭐ Supreme Court (SCOTUS) - Answers 9 Justices appointed for life by the President and confirmed by
the Senate | Situation: Final appeal on constitutional issue
⭐ SCOTUS Original Jurisdiction - Answers Cases affecting ambassadors and cases in which a state is a
party | Situation: One state sues another state
⭐ Subject Matter Jurisdiction - Answers Power over the issues involved in the case | Situation:
Federal court hears federal law claim
⭐ Judicial Review - Answers Power of courts to review legislative and executive actions and declare
them unconstitutional | Situation: Court strikes down a statute
⭐ Judicial Restraint - Answers Judicial review should be used in unusual cases only | Situation: Court
rules narrowly and follows precedent
⭐ Judicial Activism - Answers Judicial review should be used whenever the needs of society justify |
Situation: Court overturns precedent to address social issue
⭐ Stare Decisis - Answers Courts rely on precedent and prior decisions | Situation: Court follows
earlier Supreme Court ruling
⭐ Jury - Answers Fact-finding body | Situation: Jury decides what actually happened
⭐ Petit Jury - Answers Trial jury that returns a verdict in criminal and civil trials | Situation: Jury
decides guilt or liability
⭐ Grand Jury - Answers Decides whether to indict in felony cases | Situation: Jury decides if charges
should be filed
⭐ Voir Dire - Answers Jury selection process | Situation: Lawyers question jurors for bias
⭐ Burden of Proof (Civil) - Answers Preponderance of the evidence | Situation: More likely than not
⭐ Burden of Proof (Criminal) - Answers Beyond a reasonable doubt | Situation: Prosecutor must
eliminate reasonable doubt
⭐ Georgia Trial Courts - Answers Magistrate, Probate, Municipal, Juvenile, State, Superior |
Situation: Case begins in appropriate GA trial court
⭐ Federal Trial Courts - Answers District Courts | Situation: Federal case filed at trial level
⭐ Federal Appellate Courts - Answers Courts of Appeals | Situation: Review of legal error
⭐ Real Property - Answers Land and buildings | Situation: Sale of land
⭐ Personal Property - Answers All property that is not real property | Situation: Sale of furniture
⭐ Tangible Property - Answers Property that can be touched | Situation: Physical inventory
⭐ Intangible Property - Answers Property that cannot be touched | Situation: Trademark or stock
⭐ Public Property - Answers Property owned by the government | Situation: Public park