Legal Terms

abrogate
(verb)
to abolish by authoritative action
During the U.S. Civil War, the North fought the South and wanted the American
government to _____slavery.
adjudicate
(verb)
to act as a judge, to settle judicially
"You are not going to _____ this case. I am," the judge said to the attorney.
affidavit
(noun)
a sworn statement in writing made under oath
He was not asked to testify; instead, the attorney asked him to sign a written
_____ that described what he knew about the case.
appellate
(adj.)
having the power to review the judgment of another court
When a case is appealed, it is tried in an _____ court.
bequest
(noun)
the act of bequeathing, the act of leaving someone something in a will, something
that is bequeathed
When my grandmother died, she gave me her house as a _____
contraband
(noun)
illegal or prohibited exporting or importing of goods
Cuban cigars are _____ in this country; it is against the law to import them into
the United States.
deposition
(noun)
testimony under oath, taken down in writing
In his _____, he said that he saw a gun, but under cross-examination in court, he
said that he didn't remember seeing a gun.
exhume
(verb)
to remove from a grave; to bring back from neglect or obscurity
When archeologists excavate ancient tombs, they frequently _____ the remains of
the people who are buried there.
extradite
(verb)
to surrender an alleged criminal to the state or country in which he or she can be
tried
After ten years of hiding, he was _____ (ed) to the United States to stand trial for
murder.
intestate
(adj.)
one who dies without a will
My grandfather died _____, so we didn't know who in the family should inherit
his house.
ipso facto
(adverb)
by the very fact or act, an inevitable act
In bankruptcy, an _____ provision is a provision that automatically comes into
play when a company files for bankruptcy.
jurisprudence
(noun)
a system of laws, the science or philosophy of the law
In law school, people study _____
larceny
(noun)
the unlawful taking of someone else's property with the intention of not giving it
back
He was accused of _____ when he was found driving the stolen car.
lien
(noun)
a charge against real or personal property for the satisfaction of a debt or duty
originally arising from the law
Before the bank would lend me the money, I had to prove that there were no
previous _____ (s) on my property.
litigious
(adj.)
contentious situation, prone to litigation
When my landlord did not give us our security deposit back after we moved out, it
turned into a_____ situation.
malfeasance
(noun)
wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official
When a government official embezzles money, it is an act of _____
perjury
(noun)
lying or intentionally omitting information under oath
When she lied under oath, she committed _____
plagiarism
 (noun)
the act of passing off someone else's work as your own
In college, you can be expelled if you commit _____
sanction
(noun)
authoritative permission or approval that makes a course of action valid, a law or
decree
(verb)
to give permission or approval, to encourage or tolerate by indicating approval
The ruling was a _____; it made it clear that the court approved of the defendant's
behavior.
When the judge gave his ruling, he turned to the defendant and said, "I find you
guilty as charged.
This court does not _____ your behavior."
tort
(noun)
wrongdoing for which damages can be claimed; an unintentional violation of
someone's rights, which can result in civil action but not criminal proceedings
A _____ is an unintentional violation of another person's rights.

TIP

When signing a contract of any kind, it's important to know what you're agreeing to, so get to
know these words and then read carefully before signing.
Legal Terms Vocabulary Practice
Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from the vocabulary
list by reading context clues.

The attorney explained that if I gave a deposition, then I probably would not have to testify in
court. I would still be under oath, but my testimony would be given and transcribed into written
form before the trial actually began. I was glad I didn't have to testify because the case seemed
pretty ridiculous to me. My Aunt Sally died intestate and without children, so the family did not
know what she wanted us to do with her possessions. I was sure that she meant for her house
to be a bequest for my mother, who is her sister; yet my aunt's ex-husband, Tom, said the house
should be his. He said he had a signed affidavit stating that my aunt told him she would leave
him the house. Initially, my mom and I thought we could keep this from becoming a litigious
matter, but Tom wasn't willing to discuss the situation with us and come to a compromise. He
wanted a third party to adjudicate this dispute, so he hired an attorney, and we were forced to
do the same.

Sentence Completion

Insert the correct word from the vocabulary list into the following sentences.

1. The mayor issued a(n) _____ approving the city's subway-improvement plans.
2. When I clerked for a judge, I was lucky to be able get to work in a(n) _____ court, where I saw
many cases appealed.
3. Since it was a small case, I didn't have to go to court; instead, I had to give a(n) _____ under
oath while a stenographer recorded everything I said.
4. Many types of fur are considered _____ and cannot be imported into the country.
5. I am leaving my antiques to my children as a(n) _____
6. I had to sign a(n) _____ that stated the house was in perfect condition and that the leak had
been fixed.
7. It would be nice if the federal government would _____ the use of nuclear weapons.
8. When my brother and I were children and got into petty fights, sometimes my father would act
as a judge and _____ our dispute.
9. In the medical community, many doctors are leading a(n) _____ reform movement, as patients
have begun to sue for malpractice even when the doctor is not at fault.
10. She was charged with grand theft _____ when she was only sixteen, and since then, has been in
and out of juvenile detention centers.
11. A(n) _____ clause is a statement that says a contract or agreement will automatically terminate
on the expiration date of the agreement unless otherwise amended.
12. I do not want to die _____, so I plan to draft a will that clearly states who should inherit my
possessions.
13. When public officials engage in _____, many citizens feel betrayed.
14. Committing _____ in a court of law is a very serious offense.
15. The teacher accused the student of _____ when she handed in a paper she found on the
Internet.
16. _____, the philosophy of the law, is an interesting but complicated topic.
17. When the criminal escaped to Mexico, we hoped Mexico would _____ him so we could make
him stand trial in the United States for his crime.
18. We have a(n) _____ on our house, because we were not able to pay off our debt, so now the
bank from which we borrowed the money may take our house to satisfy the loan.
19. Scientists sometimes study ancient remains that have been_____ (ed) from very old burial
grounds.
20. When the attorney called, I knew that the matter had become _____ and we were no longer
going to try and settle our disagreement out of court.