Ann Levin Esq.

Vocabulary Review

Make sure you master ALL of the elements and accompanying terminology of the ILAFO analysis of a case.

Issue- Whether

, Jury instruction עקרונות שהשופט מנחה את המושבעים

, Directed verdictהשופט קמא מנחה את המושבעים לדון את התיק שוב כי הצדדים לא עמדו בנטל ההוכחה

, error, to err.טעות בשפיטה

Law- Make sure you can identify how the case you are reading relates to well-known general areas of law such as Federal law, State law, Torts, Contracts, Civil law, Criminal law, Criminal Procedure, Inheritance law, Family law, Administrative law, Health law, Intellectual Property

Authority- Cases, statutes, Codes, Act, Title, Section, Administrative regulations,

learned treatises such as Law Review articles, or Medical or other expert scholarly

writings. Know the meanings of

precedent,תקדים

seminal case,קייס ראשוני

progeny. תולדה/צאצאים

Substantive Facts such who the parties are

Prosecutorתובע

, District Attorney תובע מחוזי מטעם המדינה

, Defendantמשיב

, The accused,נאשם

Plaintiff,,תובע-

Applicantתובע בערכאה ראשונה באנגליה-,

Claimant תובע

Appellantתובע באנגליה-, Appelleeמערער-, Respondentמשיב-, Decedentמנוח-,

Estateקניין -

Representative,

Amicus Curieיועץ משפטי -

, Et Al. שות'-

Watch out for possible changing order of the parties from the lower court to the Appeal level. Other Substantive facts include the 4 W’s and the H: Who What Where When and How?

Procedural Facts such as in which court the case started in and where is ended up as well as the results in each stage of the proceedings.

Trial courtערכאה ראשונה-,

Lower courtערכאה מתחת-,

Court of First Instanceערכאה ראשונה-,

Appellate court,

Federal Circuit Court of Appealsביהמ"ש לערעורים פדרלי-,

High Courtביהמ"ש לערעורים של המדינה (הוא לא הכי גבוה)-,

Supreme Courtביהמ"ש העליון (בפסדים ישנים יהיה כתוב בית הלורדים)-.

For England- Crown Court, Queens’ Bench, House of Lords Court of special Jurisdiction, Court of General Jurisdiction.

Other procedural terminology includes-

Cause of actionעילת תביעה -

, Motion to dismiss בקשה לדחות -

Motion for Summary judgmentבקשה להליך מזורז -

, Complaint טענה -

, answer, claim, counterclaimטענת נגד-,

cross-claimנתבעים אשר תובעים אחד את השני-,

appeal,

Interlocutory appealערעור על צו ספציפי לפני שנסגר התיק-,

Allege טוען

Indictment, כתב אישום

Grand Jury חבר מושבעים,

Jury, Conviction,

leave to appeal בקשה לערעור

, Certiorari granted, הנושא ראוי לדיון

Certiorari denied,הנושא לא ראוי לדיון

brief on appeal.

Opinion-Make sure you know the components of an opinion.

Holding/Disposition-

Convicted, Acquitted זיכה, found liable, dismissed, nonsuit ביטול משפט, Summary judgment granted סיכום פסק הדין, Affirmed, Reversed,

Reversed and Remandedהחלטה התהפכה וחזרה להחלטה הראשונה-, (Remitted is sometimes a synonym for Remanded) Vacated, Stay, Ordered, Reversed in Part and Affirmed in Part. Appeal Denied, Appeal Accepted (or granted).

Legal Reasoning –Ratio Decidendiנימוק\סיבה להחלטה- Obiter Dictaאוביטר-

Policy Reasoning סיבת מדיניות

Majority opinion, Joining opinion, Concurring Opinionדעת יחיד (מסכים אבל...)-, Dissentמיעוט-

Make sure you know the types of relief or remedies courts can grant:

Declaratory relief סעד הצהרתי

, Injunctive relief Mandatory injunction צו חובה

, Temporary injunction, צו מניעה זמני

Permanent Injunction, צו מניעה קבוע

Specific performance אכיפה

, Compensatory Damages, Special Damages, Pain and suffering, Punitive Damages. Motion to dismiss, Motion for Summary judgment,

motion to suppress evidence בקשה משפטית להעלים ראיות

Make sure you know some terms of evidence:

Probable Cause, עילה סבירה

Preponderance of the Evidence, מעל מאזן ההסתברויות 51%

Clear and Convincing Evidence

, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt מעבר לספק סביר-,

Hearsay Evidence.

Direct Evidence, Circumstantial Evidence, Testimonial Evidence, (verb to testify) Physical Evidence.

Subpoena זימון לביהמש לראיות

, Subpoena Duces Tecum

Make sure you are familiar with different types of witnesses such as: Direct eyewitnesses, Alibi Witnesses, Character Witnesses עד שתפקידו להעיד על האופי של הנתבע/מורשע, Expert Witnesses.

Make sure you are familiar with the choices that judges have when analyzing the binding effect of earlier legal precedent. Stare Decisisהתחייבות לתקדימים-.

A judge can follow an earlier case. If sitting on the nation’s highest court, he/she can overrule it. All judges can distinguish or criticize earlier precedent from the facts at bar. Obiter Dicta is never binding. Other cases from other jurisdictions can be persuasive authority, but not necessarily binding.