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Most Popular Legal Definitions
obiter dictum
Latin, an observation by a judge on a matter not specifically before the
court.
barratry
creating legal business by stirring up disputes and quarrels, generally for the
benefit of the lawyer who sees fees in the matter; barratry is illegal in all
states and subject to criminal punishment and/or discipline by the state bar,
but there must be a showing that the resulting lawsuit was totally groundless
stockholder
shareholder in a corporation
reasonable doubt
A threshold of proof in criminal cases which requires the trier of fact to be
sure of the defendant's guilt before convicting.
lawsuit
legal claim brought on by one individual or
party and levied against another
rider
A written amendment as to the coverage of an
existing life or health insurance policy.
summons
a document issued by the court at the time a lawsuit is filed, stating the name
of both plaintiff and defendant, the title and file number of the case, the
court and its address, the name and address of the plaintiff's attorney, and
instructions as to the need to file a response to the complaint within a certain
time.
privity of contract
A doctrine of contract law that prevents any person from seeking the enforcement
of a contract, or suing on its terms, unless they are a party to that
contract.
usurpation
the act of taking the property, right, or general possession of another under
the guise of law without actual authority to do so
class
in legal terms, all those persons in the same category, level of rights, or who
have suffered from the same incident