Paralegal Studies- Legal Research and Writing
1. Appellate Review: Refers to an appellate courts power to reverse decisions of
lower courts
2. Judicial Review: The power that the judiciary uses to provide checks and
balances on the executive branch when it acts unconstitutionally
3. Rule of Law: Principle of government states that no body, not even the
government is above the law
4. Primary Source defined: Authorities that are official pronouncements of the
law by the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch
5. Types of Primary Sources: Constitution, Cases, Statutes, Regulations
6. Types of Secondary Sources: Encyclopedia, Law Dictionary, Law Reviews 7.
Actus Reus: The wrongful deed that comprises the physical components of a
crime
8. Mens Rea: The intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a
crime - "Guilty mind"
9. Every crime needs to have two elements: Actus Reus and Mens Rea
10. Amicus Curiae: "Friend of the court"
Someone who is NOT party to the lawsuit but who petitions the court or is requested
by the court to file a brief in the action because that person has a strong interest in
the subject matter
11. A citation to a law review article begins with this: Author's Name
12. A citation to the Florida Constitution begins with this: Article number or
Amendment number
example Art V, 3(b)(3), Fla. Const.3
13. Appellate Court duty: The appellate court does not retry cases. It's job is to
determine whether a trial court committed a reversible error
14. Administrative Regulations: 4th Source of Law,
, Paralegal Studies- Legal Research and Writing
Quasi-Judicial and Quasi-Legislative meaning they makes laws, interprets the
law and enforces laws example :
FCC - Federal Communication Commission
FDA - Federal Drug Administration
15. Bill of Rights: First 10 Amendments in the U.S Constitution
16. Bill of Attainder: This is a law that makes a particular person guilty of a crime
17. Places heavy reliance on collections of statutes then cases: Civil Law
18. Definition of Class Action of 2005: District Courts are given original
jurisdiction in which the matter in controversy is 5 million 19. U. S
Constitution: 2nd source of law supreme law of the land
20. A legislative can pass statutes that supersedes this: Case Law aka
Common Law
21. This is the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade county: Circuit Court of the 11th
Judicial Circuit
22. Case Reporters: The full text of cases in volumes of books in chronological
order
23. Cases heard by the Federal Courts: Cases that deals with Federal
questions jurisdiction, diversity jurisdiction, bankruptcy, maritime, patents,
copyrights, anti-trust
24. An action in equity is heard in this court: Circuit Courts
25. Case presents an issue not yet decided: Cases of First Impression
26. F2d or F3d- federal appellate courts
F. Supp or F Supp 2d - trial courts: Citation of Courts
27. This source contains federal administrative law arranged by topic: Code
of Federal Regulations
28. A person accused a crime and formally charged: Criminal Law
29. Indictments are used for: Felonies
30. Informations are used for: Misdemeanors
31. The U.S government prosecutes the case through the U.S Attorney or
State
Attorney on behalf of: The people
32. Certiorari: A writ or order by which a higher court reviews a decision of the
lower court
33. Certification: the process by which a court of appeal refers a question to the
USSC and ask for instructions
1. Appellate Review: Refers to an appellate courts power to reverse decisions of
lower courts
2. Judicial Review: The power that the judiciary uses to provide checks and
balances on the executive branch when it acts unconstitutionally
3. Rule of Law: Principle of government states that no body, not even the
government is above the law
4. Primary Source defined: Authorities that are official pronouncements of the
law by the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch
5. Types of Primary Sources: Constitution, Cases, Statutes, Regulations
6. Types of Secondary Sources: Encyclopedia, Law Dictionary, Law Reviews 7.
Actus Reus: The wrongful deed that comprises the physical components of a
crime
8. Mens Rea: The intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a
crime - "Guilty mind"
9. Every crime needs to have two elements: Actus Reus and Mens Rea
10. Amicus Curiae: "Friend of the court"
Someone who is NOT party to the lawsuit but who petitions the court or is requested
by the court to file a brief in the action because that person has a strong interest in
the subject matter
11. A citation to a law review article begins with this: Author's Name
12. A citation to the Florida Constitution begins with this: Article number or
Amendment number
example Art V, 3(b)(3), Fla. Const.3
13. Appellate Court duty: The appellate court does not retry cases. It's job is to
determine whether a trial court committed a reversible error
14. Administrative Regulations: 4th Source of Law,
, Paralegal Studies- Legal Research and Writing
Quasi-Judicial and Quasi-Legislative meaning they makes laws, interprets the
law and enforces laws example :
FCC - Federal Communication Commission
FDA - Federal Drug Administration
15. Bill of Rights: First 10 Amendments in the U.S Constitution
16. Bill of Attainder: This is a law that makes a particular person guilty of a crime
17. Places heavy reliance on collections of statutes then cases: Civil Law
18. Definition of Class Action of 2005: District Courts are given original
jurisdiction in which the matter in controversy is 5 million 19. U. S
Constitution: 2nd source of law supreme law of the land
20. A legislative can pass statutes that supersedes this: Case Law aka
Common Law
21. This is the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade county: Circuit Court of the 11th
Judicial Circuit
22. Case Reporters: The full text of cases in volumes of books in chronological
order
23. Cases heard by the Federal Courts: Cases that deals with Federal
questions jurisdiction, diversity jurisdiction, bankruptcy, maritime, patents,
copyrights, anti-trust
24. An action in equity is heard in this court: Circuit Courts
25. Case presents an issue not yet decided: Cases of First Impression
26. F2d or F3d- federal appellate courts
F. Supp or F Supp 2d - trial courts: Citation of Courts
27. This source contains federal administrative law arranged by topic: Code
of Federal Regulations
28. A person accused a crime and formally charged: Criminal Law
29. Indictments are used for: Felonies
30. Informations are used for: Misdemeanors
31. The U.S government prosecutes the case through the U.S Attorney or
State
Attorney on behalf of: The people
32. Certiorari: A writ or order by which a higher court reviews a decision of the
lower court
33. Certification: the process by which a court of appeal refers a question to the
USSC and ask for instructions
