Legal Definitions

Basic Vocabulary

Plaintiff - The party who brings a civil suit in a court of law.

Defendant - The party sued in a suited in a civil court action or accused in a criminal court action.

Attorney - A person who is authorized .to practice law in a particular state and who is appointed to act for another in business or legal matters.

Lawyer - One who is licensed to practice law.

Claim - The assertion of a legal right.

Dispute - A conflict of controversy, especially one that has giving rise to a particular lawsuit.

Lawsuit - A claim or dispute that is brought to a court of law.

Class Action - A lawsuit filed or defended by an individual or small group acting on behalf of a large group.

Attorney-Client Relationship - An attorney-client relationship is formed when a lawyer agrees to provide legal assistance to someone seeking the lawyer's services. The scope of the representation depends on the terms of the agreement.

Attorney-Client Privilege - Attorney-client privilege refers to a legal privilege that works to keep confidential communications between an attorney and his or her client secret.

Prosecute - To commence and carry out a legal action.

Convict - To find a person guilty of a criminal offense upon a criminal trial or a plea of guilty.

Issue Categories

Personal Injury - Physical injury inflicted to a person’s body, as opposed to damage to property or reputation. For example, a person sustains injuries as a result of a car accident that was not the person’s fault. Subcategories under Personal Injury include Product Liability and Negligence.

Discrimination - The effect of a law or established practice that confers privileges on a certain class or that denies privileges to a certain class because of race, age, sex, nationality, religion, or handicap. For example, an LGBTQ+ person is denied access to a restaurant based on sexual orientation. Subcategories under Discrimination include Age, Sexual Orientation, Race/Creed, Color, Disability, Family Situation, Housing, and Employment.

Wrongful Termination - To be wrongfully terminated is to be fired for an illegal reason, which may involve violation of a state or federal anti-discrimination laws or a contractual breach, which includes reasons based on face, gender, ethnic background, religion or disability. For example, an employee is fired because he or she spoke up about being sexually harassed at the workplace. Subcategories under Unlawful Termination include Breach of Contract, Retaliation, and Discrimination.

Contract Dispute/Breach of Contract - Violation of a contractual obligation, either by failing to perform one’s own promise or by interfering with another party’s performance. For example, a person signs a non-disclosure agreement and breaches that contract by disclosing confidential information to a third party. Subcategories under Contract Dispute/Breach of Contract include Goods, Services, Goods Under $500, and Good Over $500.

Fraud - A knowing misrepresentation of the truth or concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to his r her detriment. For example, a person assumes a false identity in order to scam others out of money. Subcategories under Fraud include Tax Related and Billing Overcharges.

Qui Tam - This is an action brough under a statute that allows a private person to sue for a penalty, part of which the government or some specified public institution will receive. Also known as a whistleblower, this involves a person within an organization, usually an employee, who exposes activity within that organization that is illegal. For example, a person working for the federal government exposes illegal activities the government is partaking in.

Constitutional - Violations against constitutional rights. For example, a protester who was put in jail for protesting may have experienced a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech and assembly. Subcategories under Constitutional include Equal Rights, Due Process, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, and Fifteenth Amendment.

Police Brutality - A member of law enforcement who uses unwarranted or excessive and often the illegal use of force against civilians. For example, a police officer uses excessive and unnecessary amounts of tear gas and pepper spray against a crowd of protesters. Subcategories under Police Brutality include Federal, State, County, and City.

Harassment & Abuse - Words, conduct or action that is being directed at a specific person that annoys, alarms, or causes substantial emotional distress in that person and serves no legitimate purpose. For example, a manager at a company verbally harasses his or her employees through curses and insults. Subcategories under Harassment & Abuse include Employment, Seeking Employment, and Religious Institution.

Other - The Other category encompasses all other claims that do not fall into any aforementioned category or subcategory.