Glossary of Litigation Terms
Complaint: In a civil action (lawsuit), the complaint is the initial pleading stating the grounds for jurisdiction, asserting claim(s), and a demand for relief.
Damages: Monetary compensation for injury to or loss of a person or property in a civil lawsuit.
Defendant: A person, business, or organization who is being sued.
Deposition: A witness's out-of-court testimony that is recorded in a document for later use at trial.
Discovery: The pre-trial stage in litigation, which includes gathering factual information, statement of witnesses (through depositions and interrogatories), and other documentation to assist in preparation for trial and narrow and define the issues to be litigated.
Interrogatory: A list of written questions given to an opposing party or witness during discovery.
Judgment: A court's final decision regarding the rights and obligations of the parties in a particular case.
Jurisdiction: The court's power to hear and decide a case. It also refers to a geographic area within which a particular court may exercise its authority.
Litigant: A person, business, or organization involved in litigation.
Plaintiff: A person, business, or organization who brings a lawsuit.
Pleading: The formal document filed with the court that contains factual allegations and stating the parties' positions. This process is often used to define and narrow the issues of a lawsuit.
Pro Se: When a person does not retain a lawyer for representation, but represents themselves in the litigation process.
Service (of Process): Formal delivery of legal notice to a party or witness including summons and pleadings.
Statute of Limitations: A statute (law) that provides a specific period of time in which a party can file a lawsuit. These statutes can vary from state to state and between state and federal jurisdictions.
Summary Judgment: A pre-trial motion where a party seeks a decision on one or more issues in the case, thus making a trial unnecessary.
Summons: A formal order to appear in court.
Verdict: A jury's decision, based on the factual issues of a case, at the conclusion of a trial.
Voir dire: The process of selecting a jury, where the attorneys and judge have an opportunity to ask individual jurors questions to determine if they are qualified to serve on the jury.
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