This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but instead serves as a glossary of terms and abbreviations you are most likely to encounter when you begin law school. This post serves as a starting point for you in your attorney journey. For more information, I would recommend purchasing the latest version of Black’s Law Dictionary and/or asking your professor(s) for additional guidance.
1L, 2L, 3L, and 4L: This follows the same concept of being in an undergraduate school and referring to your year level. A 1L is a student who is in their first year of law school, 2L for your second year, and 3L for your third year. For those attending law school part-time, they may be referred to as 4Ls during their final year.
Affirm: To ratify or confirm a former law or judgment. In the practice of appellate courts, to affirm a judgment, decree, or order, is to declare that it is valid and right, and must stand as rendered below
Appellant: The party who takes an appeal from one court or jurisdiction to another.
Appellee: The party in a cause against whom an appeal is taken; that is, the party who has an interest adverse to setting aside or reversing the judgment.
Appellate Court: A court having jurisdiction of an appeal and review
Bar Exam: The Bar Exam (a.k.a. the bar) is the exam that every law graduate must take in order to become a licensed attorney.
Black’s Law Dictionary: The legal dictionary that is most commonly used in the legal field. One should always consult a legal dictionary when looking up a legal term, as its meaning may differ in a non-legal setting.
BlueBook: This is the book most commonly used amongst legal professionals when it comes to using the correct legal citation in various bodies of work.
Case Book: This is your class textbook, which contains cases and sometimes questions and hypotheticals to help ensure you understand the subject matter.
Case Brief: You will want to “brief” a case when reading for class. A case brief is an abbreviated version of the case you studied, which contains pertinent information such as the facts of the case; issue(s); and decision(s).
Clinic: This is a type of law school training that one can usually apply to during their last year of law school in which you get hands-on experience in a specific field (i.e. Innocence Clinic, IP Law Clinic; and Immigration Clinic).
Cold Call: Most students fear the dreaded “cold call”. This is a method used by law professors in which they will call on a student to answer a question without any prior notice or volunteering to answer the question.
Common Law: Common law comes from Medieval England and since it is the foundation of the English legal system, it has been exported to many countries that have had historical ties with England, such as the United States and much of the Commonwealth. The distinguishing characteristic of common law is that it is based more on precedent than on a codified set of laws and regulations.
Defendant: In a civil case, the defendant is the one being sued. In a criminal case, the defendant is the one who is being put on trial for a crime.
Dissent: This term is most commonly used in American law to denote the explicit disagreement of one or more judges of a court with the decision passed by the majority upon a case before them. In such an event, the non-concurring judge is reported as “dissenting.”
Holding: A court’s decision on a matter of law is called a “holding.” It frequently refers to a ruling on a crucial issue that decides the outcome of the entire case.
Law Review: Law Review is a student-run journal that publishes articles written by law professors, judges, and other legal professionals. They may also publish shorter pieces written by students, called “notes” or “comments.”
Lexis: A legal database (along with Westlaw) that helps law students gain a deeper understanding of course material, learn how to conduct thorough legal research, and confidently enter the workforce as an effective attorney.
Moot Court: Moot court usually simulates the proceedings of appellate courts but can also simulate the proceedings of tribunals or international dispute resolution bodies. Unlike mock trial – another law school activity – moot court is not simulating a jury or bench trial, so there is no showing of evidence or taking of testimony. Rather, moot court requires participants to apply the law to the facts of a fictional case, arguing for either the respondent who won in the lower court, or for the challenging petitioner. Generally, the facts of moot court cases are written so that they are balanced and do not overwhelmingly favor one participant’s argument over the other.
MPRE: The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination that is administered three times per year. Developed by NCBE, the MPRE is required for admission to the bars of all but two US jurisdictions (Wisconsin and Puerto Rico). (Note that Connecticut and New Jersey accept successful completion of a law school course on professional responsibility in lieu of a passing score on the MPRE.)
Because MPRE requirements vary from one jurisdiction to another, candidates are advised to check with the bar admission agency in the jurisdiction to which they seek admission before registering for the MPRE. Passing scores are established by each jurisdiction.
Outline: An outline is a collection of class notes, case briefs, and other materials that allow you to access information quickly and efficiently for each law school class. As soon as you’ve finished a topic in class, it’s time to outline it and apply the law to a fact pattern.
Petitioner: The petitioner is the party who presents a petition to the court. On appeal, the petitioner is usually the party who lost in the lower court. This can be either the plaintiff or defendant from the court below, as either of the parties can present the case to a higher court for further proceedings.
Plaintiff: The plaintiff is the party that is bringing forth a lawsuit and initiating the claim.
Prosecutor: In a criminal case, the prosecutor is the lawyer who presents criminal charges against the defendant.
Respondent: The party against whom an appeal is taken; appellee.
Statutory Law: This is law established by an act of the legislature that is signed by the executive.
Study Aid: Study aids include explanatory material like nutshells and hornbooks, commercial outlines, case summaries, flashcards, audio tapes, and more. Study aids are meant to supplement, not take the place of, the work that you are already doing in your courses.
Tort: A civil wrong. This subject typically involves things like car accidents, and so forth.
TWEN: This is a web platform that some professors use in class, and it’s associated with Westlaw. They use it to collect assignments, provide course handouts, etc. Your professor will tell you if you need to use it.
UBE: The Uniform Bar Exam. This is the bar exam administered in roughly 35 states. The reason this is significant is that the UBE score is “portable”, meaning you can transfer your bar exam score to other states. Your Academic Support person on campus will tell you more, and it’s not something you need to worry about your first year.
UCC: Uniform Commercial Code. This includes subjects like Sales, Commercial Paper, and Secured Transactions.
Writ of Certiorari: Used by the U.S. Supreme Court to review the cases the Court decides to hear.
Are there any other law school terms that you would add to this list?
