JOUR 303 EXAM 1 2024/2025 UPDATED
administrative regulations
laws enacted by administrative agencies, such as the FCC
affirm
to uphold the decision of a lower court
answer
the defendant's formal response to a plaintiff's allegations as stated in a civil complaint
appellant
the party who appeals a court judgement to a higher court; sometimes called the
petitioner
appellate court
a court with jurisdiction to hear appeals and review the rulings of trial courts
appellee
the party against who an appeal is taken; sometimes called the respondent
arraignment
a criminal proceeding in which an accused is brought before the court to hear the
charge against him or her and to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty
Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified by the states in 1791
breach of contract
a legally inexcusable failure to perform as obligated under a contract
case law
law derived from the previous, published decisions of appellate courts
certiorari
a discretionary order commonly used by the U.S. Supreme Court to indicate that the
Court has agreed to review a case. this action by the Court is referred to as granting
cert
civil law
the law pertaining to noncriminal matters in which one person or business sues another
to obtain some legal relief
codes
systematic compilations of laws, such as the statutes or administrative regulations of a
state
common law
legal rules and principles that originate solely from judicial decisions, as distinguished
from the laws enacted by legislatures
complaint
a legal document that begins a lawsuit by stating the plaintiff's grievance and the
remedy being sought; the initial pleading filed in a civil case
concurring opinion
an appellate court opinion in which one or more judges agree with the majority ruling but
state different or additional reasons
, constitution
the fundamental law of a nation or state, typically establishing the government's basic
organization and describing the extent and limits of its sovereign powers
constitutional law
law concerning the basic organization and powers of government and the individual
liberties enumerated in constitutions
contract
a legally enforceable agreement made either orally or in writing
court reports
volumes containing the judicial opinions of a particular court or jursidiction
courts of equity
historically, courts that operated by a distinctive set of rules and offered alternative
remedies to the usual money damages. the most common equitable remedy is an
injunction
criminal law
the state and federal statutes that define criminal offenses and punishment. criminal
cases are brought to trial, or prosecuted, by government lawyers
damages
money awarded in court to a person unlawfully harmed by another. damages are
compensatory, if awarded as the measure of injury suffered, or punitive, if awarded in
addition as punishment for outrageous conduct by the offending party
defendant
in a civil case, the person or business being sued. in a criminal case, the person being
prosecuted
discovery
the ascertainment of relevant facts, prior to trial, by the parties to a lawsuit. formal
discovery tools used by lawyers include oral depositions, requests to produce
documents, and mental examinations
dissenting opinion
an appellate court opinion by one or more judges explaining their disagreement with the
decision of the majority
diversity of citizenship
a type of federal court litigation in which the opposing parties are citizens of different
states
doctrine of judicial review
principle that the courts have authority to review and declare unconstitutional the
actions of other branches of government
doctrine of precedent
a basic rule of the U.S. judicial system that earlier decisions of a court shall serve as
guiding authority to be followed when the court again faces an identical or similar issue
Federal Circuit
judicial divisions for the U.S. Courts of Appeal; includes eleven multi-state circuits, one
for the District of Columbia, and one with nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in
certain specialized kinds of cases
grand jury
administrative regulations
laws enacted by administrative agencies, such as the FCC
affirm
to uphold the decision of a lower court
answer
the defendant's formal response to a plaintiff's allegations as stated in a civil complaint
appellant
the party who appeals a court judgement to a higher court; sometimes called the
petitioner
appellate court
a court with jurisdiction to hear appeals and review the rulings of trial courts
appellee
the party against who an appeal is taken; sometimes called the respondent
arraignment
a criminal proceeding in which an accused is brought before the court to hear the
charge against him or her and to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty
Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified by the states in 1791
breach of contract
a legally inexcusable failure to perform as obligated under a contract
case law
law derived from the previous, published decisions of appellate courts
certiorari
a discretionary order commonly used by the U.S. Supreme Court to indicate that the
Court has agreed to review a case. this action by the Court is referred to as granting
cert
civil law
the law pertaining to noncriminal matters in which one person or business sues another
to obtain some legal relief
codes
systematic compilations of laws, such as the statutes or administrative regulations of a
state
common law
legal rules and principles that originate solely from judicial decisions, as distinguished
from the laws enacted by legislatures
complaint
a legal document that begins a lawsuit by stating the plaintiff's grievance and the
remedy being sought; the initial pleading filed in a civil case
concurring opinion
an appellate court opinion in which one or more judges agree with the majority ruling but
state different or additional reasons
, constitution
the fundamental law of a nation or state, typically establishing the government's basic
organization and describing the extent and limits of its sovereign powers
constitutional law
law concerning the basic organization and powers of government and the individual
liberties enumerated in constitutions
contract
a legally enforceable agreement made either orally or in writing
court reports
volumes containing the judicial opinions of a particular court or jursidiction
courts of equity
historically, courts that operated by a distinctive set of rules and offered alternative
remedies to the usual money damages. the most common equitable remedy is an
injunction
criminal law
the state and federal statutes that define criminal offenses and punishment. criminal
cases are brought to trial, or prosecuted, by government lawyers
damages
money awarded in court to a person unlawfully harmed by another. damages are
compensatory, if awarded as the measure of injury suffered, or punitive, if awarded in
addition as punishment for outrageous conduct by the offending party
defendant
in a civil case, the person or business being sued. in a criminal case, the person being
prosecuted
discovery
the ascertainment of relevant facts, prior to trial, by the parties to a lawsuit. formal
discovery tools used by lawyers include oral depositions, requests to produce
documents, and mental examinations
dissenting opinion
an appellate court opinion by one or more judges explaining their disagreement with the
decision of the majority
diversity of citizenship
a type of federal court litigation in which the opposing parties are citizens of different
states
doctrine of judicial review
principle that the courts have authority to review and declare unconstitutional the
actions of other branches of government
doctrine of precedent
a basic rule of the U.S. judicial system that earlier decisions of a court shall serve as
guiding authority to be followed when the court again faces an identical or similar issue
Federal Circuit
judicial divisions for the U.S. Courts of Appeal; includes eleven multi-state circuits, one
for the District of Columbia, and one with nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in
certain specialized kinds of cases
grand jury
