Legal Glossary
Plain-English definitions of 15+ legal terms used in U.S. law — courts, contracts, criminal, civil, family, immigration and more.
advance parole
Advance parole is a travel document granting permission to certain foreign nationals to re-enter the U.S. after traveling abroad. These foreign nationals typically have applications pending for immigration benefits or for changes in non-citizen status. Advance parole mu…
Fourth Amendment
Interests Protected The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upo…
Parole
The release of a prison inmate – formerly granted by the U.S. Parole Commission – after the inmate has completed part of their sentence in a federal prison. When the parolee is released to the community, they are placed under the supervision of a U.S. probation officer.
Concord sentence
An atypically long sentence with an early parole eligibility, the time of parole eligibility constituting the "real" intended sentence.
cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is an excessive penalty that is disproportionate to the crime committed, an act of retribution that causes deliberate pain or suffering, and/or conditions that violate basic human rights standards. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constituti…
class action
Overview A class action is a procedural device that permits one or more plaintiffs to file and prosecute a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group, or "class". Put simply, the device allows courts to manage lawsuits that would otherwise be unmanageable if each class member …
corrections
Corrections in the legal context refers to the retribution, rehabilitation, and supervision of criminal offenders through the system of incarceration, probation, and parole. Correctional institutions are the places where those who have been convicted of crimes serve o…
habeas corpus
OVERVIEW: Latin for "that you have the body." Federal courts can use the writ of habeas corpus to determine if a state's detention of a prisoner is valid. A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. an institutionalized psychiatric patien…
natural life sentence
A life sentence without the possibility of parole, commutation, etc.
Parol evidence rule
The parol evidence rule is a rule in common law jurisdictions limiting the kinds of evidence parties to a contract dispute can introduce when trying to determine the specific terms of a contract and precluding parties who have reduced their agreement to a final written …
Sentence (law)
In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for multiple crimes may be a…
Sentence (law)
In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for multiple crimes may be a…
Sentence (law)
In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for multiple crimes may be a…
Sentence (law)
In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for multiple crimes may be a…
Three-strikes law
In the United States, habitual offender laws—commonly referred to as three-strikes laws—require a person who is convicted of an offense and who has one or two other previous serious convictions to serve a mandatory life sentence in prison, with or without parole dependi…