M law
Body of rules and principles that every member of society must follow
E codify
Compile, arrange, systemize, and write the laws of a given region
into a
code
D civil law
Body of law imposed by the state or government for its citizens
F common law
Body of law based on custom and judicial precedent rather than on
codified statutes
C black letter law
Words committed to paper that govern
K default judgment
Occurs when a defendant in a lawsuit fails to respond to a complaint
and
the court then rules in favor of the plaintiff by default
Q precedent
Concept of looking back at cases previously decided and following
those
decisions for the sake of consistency and fairness
I criminal law
Law that concerns wrongs against persons or society
T tort
Legal wrong for which civil remedies for injuries or damages are provided
N litigation
Process of bringing a lawsuit against someone
P plaintiff
Person filing the civil suit in a court of law
J . defendant
Person who is being sued
H. complaint
Summarizes the plaintiff’s case against the defendant including the
actual
harm done and the demand for compensation for damages incurred
A. answer
Explains the position of the defendant and his or her view on the
plaintiff’s allegations
S summons
Written request that establishes the plaintiff’s position in filing a
complaint and calls for the defendant to answer or appear in court
O. mediation
Process in which a neutral, uninterested third party helps the
parties
involved in a dispute to negotiate a settlement or other resolution
B arbitration
Process in which the parties (and/or their attorneys) present their
cases to
an arbitrator, who renders a decision
L deposition
Live, oral testimony under oath
R. remedy
Compensating the plaintiff for any injuries incurred
G. compensatory damage
� Damages designed to compensate the injured party for the injury
that was
sustained