court of appeals
[noun]
in the US, a court of law that makes decisions regarding cases in which the lower court's judgment is contested
Advanced Vocabulary for TOEFL - The Law
Here you will learn some English words about law, such as "article", "waiver", "acquit", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.
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article
[noun]
a paragraph or clause in a legal agreement or document that is separate from others and deals with something particular
Ex:
Article
12
of
the
agreement
outlines
the
rights
and
responsibilities
of
both
parties
.
writ
[noun]
a legal document from a court or another legal authority that instructs someone on what to do or not to do
affidavit
[noun]
a written statement affirmed by oath that can be used as evidence in court
Ex:
Before
submitting
the
document
to
the
court
,
the
attorney
carefully
reviewed
the
affidavit
to
ensure
its
accuracy
and
completeness
.
plaintiff
[noun]
a person who brings a lawsuit against someone else in a court
Ex:
After
filing
the
lawsuit
,
the
plaintiff
waited
anxiously
for
the
court
date
.
litigator
[noun]
a lawyer who specializes in bringing a lawsuit against people or organizations in a court of law
Ex:
Becoming
a
litigator
requires
not
only
legal
expertise
but
also
strong
advocacy
and
negotiation
skills
.
settlement
[noun]
an official agreement that puts an end to a dispute
Ex:
The
divorce
settlement
included
the
division
of
assets
and
custody
arrangements
for
their
children
.
waiver
[noun]
an official statement according to which one gives up their legal right or claim
Ex:
He
requested
a
waiver
to
bypass
the
standard
application
fees
.
to nullify
[verb]
to legally invalidate an agreement, decision, etc.
Ex:
They
sought
to
nullify
the
decision
based on
procedural
errors
.
to enforce
[verb]
to ensure that a law or rule is followed
Ex:
It
is
important
to
enforce
safety
regulations
to
prevent
workplace
accidents
.
to issue
[verb]
to release an official document such as a statement, warrant, etc.
Ex:
The
school
issued
diplomas
to
graduating
students
during
the
ceremony
.
to acquit
[verb]
to officially decide and declare in a law court that someone is not guilty of a crime
Ex:
Last
month
,
the
court
acquitted
the
accused
after
a
thorough
trial
.
to pardon
[verb]
to discharge a criminal from the legal consequences of a conviction or violation
Ex:
The
board
voted
to
pardon
the
individual
,
clearing
their
criminal record
.
to decree
[verb]
to make an official judgment, decision, or order
Ex:
The
court
is
decreeing
an
injunction
to
halt
the
construction
until
further
assessment
.
prosecution
[noun]
the process of bringing someone to court in an attempt to prove their guilt
Ex:
Following
the
arrest
,
the
prosecution
moved forward
with
charges
.
judiciary
[noun]
the part of a country's government that administers the legal system, including all its judges
Ex:
The
judiciary
is
composed
of
various
levels
of
courts
,
from
local
to
supreme
.
to infringe
[verb]
to violate someone's rights or property
Ex:
Posting
copyrighted
material
online
without
permission
can
infringe
intellectual property
rights
.
to overturn
[verb]
to reverse, abolish, or invalidate something, especially a legal decision
Ex:
The
new
evidence
presented
in
the
case
may
lead
to
a
decision
to
overturn
the
conviction
.
to void
[verb]
to announce that something is no longer legally valid or binding
Ex:
The
board of directors
decided
to
void
the
agreement
with
the
supplier
due to
non-performance
.
conviction
[noun]
a formal declaration by which someone is found guilty of a crime in a court of law
Ex:
The
lawyer
appealed
the
conviction
,
claiming
there
was
a
miscarriage of justice
.
indictment
[noun]
a formal accusation of a crime
Ex:
The
grand jury
handed down
an
indictment
,
charging
the
suspect
with
multiple
counts
of
fraud
.
litigation
[noun]
the formal procedure of resolving disputes through the court system
Ex:
They
avoided
litigation
by
settling
out of
court
.
to outlaw
[verb]
to officially state that something is illegal
Ex:
The
new
legislation
sought
to
outlaw
discrimination
based on
gender
,
race
,
and
sexual
orientation
.
to legislate
[verb]
to create or bring laws into effect through a formal process
Ex:
In
the
coming
years
,
governments
around
the
world
will
need
to
legislate
laws
to
address
emerging
technologies
.
notary
[noun]
an official authorized to conduct particular legal formalities, especially to make documents legally acceptable
Ex:
Notaries
play
a
crucial
role
in
verifying
the
authenticity
of
signatures
and
ensuring
the
legality
of
documents
.
to interrogate
[verb]
to question someone in an aggressive way for a long time in order to get information
Ex:
The
prosecutor
sought
permission
to
interrogate
the
key
witness
to
strengthen
the
case
.
barrister
[noun]
a legal professional qualified and licensed to advocate on behalf of clients in both lower and higher courts
Ex:
After
completing
law school
and
passing
the
bar exam
,
she
began
her
career
as
a
barrister
,
specializing
in
criminal law
.
to adjudicate
[verb]
to make a formal decision or judgment about who is right in an argument or dispute
Ex:
The
court
will
adjudicate
the
divorce
proceedings
and
decide on
matters
of
custody
and
assets
.