Legal Glossary
Plain-English definitions of 19+ legal terms used in U.S. law — courts, contracts, criminal, civil, family, immigration and more.
Dodd-Frank: Title XIV - Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act
PurposeThe 2008 economic crisis was triggered in part by the real estate bubble bursting. Mortgages became extremely easy to obtain, and many of those mortgages had predatory provisions that made it difficult for borrowers to pay off the mortgages in the event that thei…
accord and satisfaction
Accord and satisfaction occurs when there is an agreement (accord) between two parties (an obligor and an obligee) for alternative performance to discharge a pre-existing duty, and the obligor subsequently completes such performance (satisfaction). Accord and satisfacti…
addendum
An addendum is an addition to a finished document, such as a contract. The most common addendum is an attachment or exhibit at the end of such a document. For example, a contract to manufacture widgets may have an addendum listing the specifications for said widgets. As…
admiralty court
Admiralty court, also known as maritime court, is a court that exercises admiralty or maritime jurisdiction and hears civil cases related to admiralty or maritime law. See also: See also: admiralty and maritime power and admiralty. Authorization In the United States…
ALJ
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is an independent hearing examiner who presides at an administrative hearing. The ALJ serves as both the judge and the jury in an administrative hearing. An ALJ has the power to administer oaths, receive evidence, take testimony, and ma…
Comparative negligence
Comparative negligence, called non-absolute contributory negligence outside the United States, is a partial legal defense that reduces the amount of damages that a plaintiff can recover in a negligence-based claim, based upon the degree to which the plaintiff's own negl…
Con delegates
Advocates who have been appointed judges of the high court of delegates are so culled. Shelf, on Lun. 310. CONDEMNATION, mar. law , is the sentence of a court of competent jurisdiction that a ship or vessel taken as a prize on the high seas, was liable to capture, and …
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to th…
Constraint
In the civil and Scottish law, by this term is understood what, in the common, is known by the name of duress. 2. — It is a general ride that when one is compiled into a contract, there is no effectual consent, though, ostensi- bly, there is the form of it. In such cas…
Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning is the process of drawing valid inferences. An inference is valid if its conclusion follows logically from its premises, meaning that it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion to be false. For example, the inference from the pre…
Derivative work
In copyright law, a derivative work is an expressive creation that includes major copyrightable elements of a first, previously created original work. The derivative work becomes a second, separate work independent from the first. The transformation, modification or ada…
Dic
This is the name of an old writ which directs the sheriff to inquire whether a man be an idiot or not. The inquisition is to lx? made by a jury of twelve men. Fitz. N. B. 252. IDLENESS, is the refusal or neg- lect to perform some honest labour, in order to gain a livel…
free
Unconstrained.
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the place' or 'on site', derived from in ('in') and situ. The term refers to studying or working with something in its natural or original location rather than moving it elsewhere. This approach preserves environmental factors and r…
Limited liability limited partnership
The limited liability limited partnership (LLLP) is a relatively new modification of the limited partnership. The LLLP form of business entity is recognized under United States commercial law. An LLLP is a limited partnership, and it consists of one or more general part…
Obrogation
In civil law, obrogation is the modification or repeal of a law in whole or in part by issuing a new law.
office
A ceremonial duty or service, particularly: The authorized form of ceremonial worship of a church. Any special liturgy, as the Office for the Dead or of the Virgin. A daily service without the eucharist. The daily service of the breviary, the liturgy for each canonical …
Open-source license
Open-source licenses are software licenses that allow content to be used, modified, and shared. They facilitate free and open-source software (FOSS) development. Intellectual property (IP) laws restrict the modification and sharing of creative works. Free and open-sourc…
Sub modo
Sub modo is Latin for "subject to a modification or qualification". More generally, it is anything "under a qualification, condition, or restriction." In a contract sub modo, the agreement between the parties may be altered or limited within certain parameters.