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| 7910773681 | Affirm | To declare that a court ruling is valid and must stand. | 0 | |
| 7910773682 | Appellate court | A court having jurisdiction to review cases and issues that were originally tried in lower courts. | 1 | |
| 7910773683 | Broad construction | A judicial philosophy that looks to the context and purpose of a law when making an interpretation. | 2 | |
| 7910773684 | Case law | Judicial interpretations of common law principles and doctrines, as well as interpretations of constitutional law, statutory law, and administrative law. | 3 | |
| 7910773685 | Class-action suit | A lawsuit filed by an individual seeking damages for "all persons similarly situated." | 4 | |
| 7910773686 | Common law | Judge-made law that originated in England from decisions shaped according to prevailing custom. Decisions were applied to similar situations and gradually became common to the nation. | 5 | |
| 7910773687 | Concurring opinion | A separate opinion prepared by a judge who supports the decision of the majority of the court but who wants to make or clarify a particular point or to voice disapproval of the grounds on which the decision was made. | 6 | |
| 7910773688 | Dissenting opinion | A separate opinion in which a judge dissents from (disagrees with) the conclusion reached by the majority on the court and expounds his or her own views about the case. | 7 | |
| 7910773689 | Diversity of citizenship | The condition that exists when the parties to a lawsuit are citizens of different states, or when the parties are citizens of a U.S. state and citizens or the government of a foreign country. Diversity of citizenship can provide a basis for federal jurisdiction. | 8 | |
| 7910773690 | Federal question | A question that has to do with the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, or treaties. A federal question provides a basis for federal jurisdiction. | 9 | |
| 7910773691 | General jurisdiction | Exists when a court's authority to hear cases is not significantly restricted. A court of general jurisdiction normally can hear a broad range of cases. | 10 | |
| 7910773692 | Judicial activism | A doctrine holding that the Supreme Court should take an active role by using its powers to check the activities of governmental bodies when those bodies exceed their authority. | 11 | |
| 7910773693 | Judicial implementation | The way in which court decisions are translated into action. | 12 | |
| 7910773694 | Judicial restraint | A doctrine holding that the Supreme Court should defer to the decisions made by the elected representatives of the people in the legislative and executive branches. | 13 | |
| 7910773695 | Judicial review | The power of the Supreme Court or any court to hold a law or other legal action as unconstitutional. | 14 | |
| 7910773696 | Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to decide certain cases. Not all courts have the authority to decide all cases. Two jurisdictional issues are where a case arises as well as its subject matter. | 15 | |
| 7910773697 | Limited jurisdiction | Exists when a court's authority to hear cases is restricted to certain types of claims, such as tax claims or bankruptcy petitions. | 16 | |
| 7910773698 | Litigate | To engage in a legal proceeding or seek relief in a court of law; to carry on a lawsuit. | 17 | |
| 7910773699 | Majority opinion | A court opinion reflecting the views of the majority of the judges. | 18 | |
| 7910773700 | Opinion | The statement by a judge or a court of the decision reached in a case. The opinion sets forth the applicable law and details the reasoning on which the ruling was based. | 19 | |
| 7910773701 | Oral arguments | The verbal arguments presented in person by attorneys to an appellate court. Each attorney presents reasons to the court why the court should rule in her or his client's favor. | 20 | |
| 7910773702 | Political question | An issue that a court believes should be decided by the executive or legislative branch. | 21 | |
| 7910773703 | Precedent | A court rule bearing on subsequent legal decisions in similar cases. Judges rely on precedents in deciding cases. | 22 | |
| 7910773704 | Remand | To send a case back to the court that originally heard it. | 23 | |
| 7910773705 | Reverse | To annul or make void a court ruling on account of some error or irregularity. | 24 | |
| 7910773706 | Rule of four | A United States Supreme Court procedure by which four justices must vote to grant a petition for review if a case is to come before the full court. | 25 | |
| 7910773707 | Senatorial courtesy | In federal district court judgeship nominations, a tradition allowing a senator to veto a judicial appointment in his or her state. | 26 | |
| 7910773708 | Stare decisis | To stand on decided cases; the judicial policy of following precedents established by past decisions. | 27 | |
| 7910773709 | Strict construction | A judicial philosophy that looks to the "letter of the law" when interpreting the Constitution or a particular statute. | 28 | |
| 7910773710 | Trial court | The court in which most cases begin. | 29 | |
| 7910773711 | Unanimous opinion | A court opinion or determination on which all judges agree. | 30 | |
| 7910773712 | Writ of certiorari | An order issued by a higher court to a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. | 31 |
