Courts and Procedure

An appeal asks a higher court to review a lower court decision for legal error.

A bench trial is a trial in which the judge, not a jury, decides the factual and legal issues.

A complaint is the initial pleading that starts a civil lawsuit and states the plaintiff's claims and requested relief.

Core litigation and court-process terms that explain who starts a case, how parties receive notice, how facts are gathered, and how courts resolve or review disputes.

A default judgment is a judgment entered because a party failed to respond, appear, or defend as required.

A defendant is the party sued or accused against whom a civil claim or criminal charge is brought.

A deposition is sworn out-of-court testimony taken before trial as part of discovery.

Discovery is the pretrial process in which parties exchange information, documents, and testimony relevant to the case.

An injunction is a court order requiring a party to do something or stop doing something.

A judgment is the court's final decision resolving the parties' rights and obligations in a case or in a distinct stage of it.

A jury trial is a trial in which jurors decide factual issues after hearing the evidence and the court's legal instructions.

Mediation is a structured negotiation process in which a neutral third party helps disputing sides try to reach agreement.

A motion to dismiss asks the court to end some or all of a case at an early stage because the claim is legally deficient or the court lacks authority.

A plaintiff is the party who starts a civil case by bringing a claim and asking the court for relief.

Service of process is the legally valid delivery of the summons and complaint to the defendant.

A settlement is an agreement that resolves a legal dispute without requiring the court to decide every issue at trial.

Standing is the requirement that a party have a sufficient personal stake in a dispute to ask the court for relief.

A statute of limitations is the legal time limit for bringing a claim or prosecution.

A subpoena is a legal command requiring a person to testify, produce documents, or both.

Summary judgment asks the court to decide a case without a full trial because there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the law favors one side.

A summons is the formal notice telling the defendant that a lawsuit has been filed and that a response is required.

Venue is the proper or most appropriate geographic location for a legal case to be heard.

A verdict is the formal decision reached by a jury, or by a judge in some contexts, on the issues submitted for decision.