Legal Terms Flashcards
Understand the legal words
Ad hoc
for this
Ad valorem
according to value
Amicus curiae
friend of the court
Certiorari
to be appraised, a writ of review
Caveat emptor
buyer beware
De jure
according to the law
De novo
anew, as in trial de novo, a new trial when a verdict is not reached in the first one
Ergo
therefore
Erratum
having been made in error
Ex ante
of before, or before the event
Forum non conveniens
a disagreeable judicial forum
Habeas Corpus
you have the body, a writ used to challenge the legality of detention
Ibid
in the same place, abbrevation of ibedem, used when citing sources to signify the same prior identical source
Idem
the same, used in the citation to indicate the material came from the same cited source as the prior though not the same page or laction
Inter vivos
among or between the living, as in a gift between living partners
Inter alia
among others, used to indicate a cited source has been gathered from another larger list of sources
In forma pauperis
in the manner of a pauper or poor person, refers to an individual unable to afford the cost of a legal proceeding
In limine
at the threshold, as in a motion in limine, made prior to the resolution of a case
Lis pendens
suit pending
Mandamus
we command, a writ issued by a higher court to a loer court or government official to compel them to preform some admistrative act
Mens rea
guilty mind
Modus operandi
method of operation
Nisi prius
unless first, refers to a court of original jurisdiction
Nolle prosecui
not to prosecute
Nolo contendere
I do not wish to dispute
Nunc pro tunc
now for then, an act by a court to correct a prior clerical or procedural error
Obiter dictum
a thing said in passing
Pendente lite
when the litigation is pending
Per curiam
through the court a decision rendered by a multi judge panal
Prima facie
at first face or glance a matter sufficiently based in the evidence
