People find the legal profession attractive for many reasons: the chance to help people, an interest in law and governance, or a wish to be part of the judicial system and promote fair and equitable enforcement of rules and regulations. Whether you’re planning on applying for law school or studying to be a paralegal, it’s important to know the vocabulary used in the legal field.
There are two main categories of legal vocabulary: words in Latin, and words in English (which are usually derived from Latin). In this post, we’ll concentrate on some of the common legal terms in English that you should know:
- litigation
- precedent
- allegation
- deposition
In general, the role of the court is to settle disputes. The word litigation comes from the Latin litigare, meaning “to quarrel or dispute”. A litigant is someone involved in a lawsuit. A person who frequently takes people to court can be described as litigious.
In settling disputes, or cases, and making decisions and rulings, a judge will refer to precedent. A precedent is a decision made in a similar case, where the situation was essentially the same as in the dispute being considered. Precedent means “the thing that came before,” and shares the same Latin root as the word precede, meaning “to go before, in front of.”
When judges gather information about a case, they listen to the allegations of the parties as each litigant describes their side of the situation. The verb allege and the noun allegation come from the Latin word allegare, meaning to name, produce, or bring forth something.
If the allegations are not made in person, they may be read in court from the litigant’s deposition. A deposition is the sworn testimony and allegations made by a person under oath, and the transcript of a deposition sometimes becomes part of the court record. The verb depose describes the act of taking this testimony.
A solid knowledge of legal terminology will help you when you’re studying for your LSAT, preparing for your bar exam, or applying for a job as a legal assistant at a law office. To learn more, visit your city or county courthouse (in person or on line). Most court systems have handouts available that give definitions of common legal terms and concepts, in order to help people who have business with the court. The Ultimate Vocabulary system also provides definitions and usage examples for many legal terms. Check it out today!
