- K -
Key number system - A
research aid developed by West Publishing Company which classifies
digests of cases in to various law topics and subtopics which are
given paragraph numbers called "Key Numbers." Each key
number for a given topic helps the researcher quickly find all
references to the legal matter being researched.
- L -
Lapsed gift - A gift made
in a will to a person who has died prior to the will-makers death.
Larceny - Obtaining
property by fraud or deceit.
Law - The combination of
those rules and principles of conduct promulgated by legislative
authority, derived from court decisions and established by local
custom.
Law Blank - A printed
legal form available for preparing documents.
Law Clerk - In the United
States, usually a law school student employed by a law firm to do
research and other tasks. In the courts, a lawyer (or law school
student) employed to do legal research.
Lawsuit - An action or
proceeding in a civil court; term used for a suit or action
between two private parties in a court of law.
Leading question - A
question that suggests the answer desired of the witness. A party
generally may not ask one's own witness leading questions. Leading
questions may be asked only of hostile witnesses and on
cross-examination.
Legal aid - Professional
legal services available usually to persons or organizations
unable to afford such services.
Legal process - A formal
paper that is legally valid; something issuing from the court,
usually a command such as a writ or mandate.
Legal texts - Books that
cover specific areas of the law, usually dealing with a single
topic.
Legislation - The act of
giving or enacting laws; the power to make laws via legislation in
contrast to court-made laws.
Legitimate - That which is
legal, lawful, recognized by law or according to law.
Leniency - Recommendation
for a sentence less than the maximum allowed.
Letters of Administration -
Legal document issued by a court that shows an administrator's
legal right to take control of assets in the deceased person's
name.
Letters Testamentary -
Legal document issued by a court that shows an executor's legal
right to take control of assets in the deceased person's name.
Liable
- Legally responsible.
Libel - Published
defamation which tends to injure a person's reputation.
Licensing boards - State
agencies created to regulate the issuance of licenses, i.e., to
contractors, cosmetologists, realtors, etc.
Lien - An encumbrance or
legal burden upon property.
Limine - (See "in
limine" in Foreign Words Glossary).
Limited Jurisdiction -
Refers to courts that are limited in the types of criminal and
civil cases they may hear. For example, traffic violations
generally are heard by limited jurisdiction courts.
Litigant
- A party to a lawsuit.
Litigation - A lawsuit; a
legal action, including all proceedings therein.
Living trust - A trust set
up and in effect during the lifetime of the grantor. (Also called
inter vivos trust.)
Loose-leaf services
-Loose-leaf replacement pages provided by a publisher in areas of
the law where changes occur at a rapid rate.
