Legal Terms Every Certified Legal Translator Thinks You Should Know
Is it ALL Greek to you!
If you’ve ever uttered that phrase regarding legalese, you certainly aren’t alone. The terminology legal professionals and certified legal translators use is often complex and intricate with varying applications and intentions. No matter which industry or field a modern professional works in, invariably their work will involve legal aspects as applied to business/marketing research, analysis, documentation, and compliance with local, state, and federal judicial systems. While our certified legal translators have a decade or more of legal document translation experience that enables them to understand the legalese, they firmly believe that all professionals should familiarize themselves with these legal terms:
- Adjective law – The aggregate of rules of procedure or practice.
- Administrative law – The body of rules and procedures that organizes the government and provides mechanisms for the redress of grievances as a result of decisions or actions of the government.
- Cause of action – The fact or combination of facts that gives a person the right to seek judicial redress or relief against another.
- Civil law – A body of rules that delineate private rights and remedies and govern disputes between individuals.
- Compensatory damages – A sum of money awarded in a civil action by a court.
- Constitutional law – The written text of the state and federal constitutions.
- Demurrer – An assertion by the defendant that although the facts alleged by the plaintiff in the complaint may be true, they do not entitle the plaintiff to prevail in the lawsuit.
- Depose – To give testimony that is reduced to writing by a duly qualified officer and sworn to by the deponent.
- Diligence – Reasonable care or attention to a matter.
- Felony – A serious crime, characterized under federal law and many state statutes as any offense punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year.
- Malfeasance – The commission of an act that is unequivocally illegal or completely wrongful.
- Mens rea – Guilty knowledge and wilfulness.
- Misdemeanor – Offenses lower than felonies and generally those punishable by fine, penalty, forfeiture, or imprisonment other than in a penitentiary.
- Prima facie – A fact presumed to be true unless it is disproved.
- Provisional remedy – A generic term for any temporary order of a court to protect a party from irreparable damage while a lawsuit or petition is pending.
- Punitive damages – Monetary compensation awarded to an injured party.
- Stare decisis – The policy of courts to abide by or adhere to principles established by decisions in earlier cases.
- Statute – An act of a legislature that declares, proscribes, or commands something.
- Title Abstract – A history of the chain of title.
- Tort – French for wrong, a civil wrong, or wrongful act, whether intentional or accidental, from which injury occurs to another.
Contact ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc. Today
No matter which sector or industry, all professionals should at least be aware of basic legal terminology. If it’s still all “Greek” to you, let ASTA-USA’s skillful, certified legal translators eliminate the guesswork. Inquire now or give us a call at 1.866.446.1860 today.