Whether you read about lawsuits that are covered in the newspaper or watch television shows that portray courtroom proceedings, serve on a jury or are studying for your LSAT to become a lawyer, a basic knowledge of legal terminology will help you understand the often-complicated world of litigation (for a definition of this term, read this post). Today we’ll look at some vocabulary words that are often associated with the law.

affidavit (A-fuh-DAY-vit) noun
Note: The first A sound in this word is pronounced like the A in the word cat.
An affidavit is a statement that is written or printed out and signed by the person making the affidavit, under oath that he or she is stating the truth. An affidavit generally has to be notarized to be valid.

docket (DAH-ket) noun/verb
This refers to the history of a particular case, in the form of a chronological listing of the court proceedings. It is also used as a verb, and to docket a case means to put a hearing or trial on the court’s calendar.

indictment (in-DYT-ment) noun
A formal charge that states that there is enough evidence of a crime to put the defendant on trial. The verb is to indict. The word comes from the Latin root dictare (“to say in words”).

jurisdiction (JUR-ihs-DIK-shun) noun
This word can either refer to the right of a specific court to hear and rule on a specific case, or the geographical territory that the court has responsibility for. The Latin root juris- has the general meaning of “law.”

Study these phrases before you watch a rerun of Judge John Deed or Perry Mason, and remember that ignorantia juris non excusat!*

* ignorance of the law excuses no one