Business English Vocabulary: Law

How much do you know about legal terms in English? If you’re looking to jumpstart your law career in an English-speaking country, it’s best to take some time to examine the terms you are going to come across daily in your profession. To get you started, we collected some key terms for you to memorize. Take a look!

 

Attorney (US)/ Barrister (UK)

This is a person who is appointed to represent someone in a court of law. In the US, this person may also be referred to as a lawyer. In the UK a solicitor is also a type of lawyer, but they brief the barrister.

 

Case

The case is a statement of facts in a trial, especially the argument that one side is presenting.

 

Contract

A contract is a formal agreement in writing between two or more parties.

 

Court

This is the place where cases are heard and decided. A courtroom is the particular room in which a trial is taking place.

 

Evidence

The evidence in a case is the information presented in court that is meant to prove or support a point that the lawyer is making.

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Guilty

Someone who is guilty is responsible for wrongdoing. If you plead guilty, then you are admitting that you did what you are being accused of.

 

Judge

This is a person who has the official authority to hear and decide cases in a court of law.

 

Jury

A jury is a group of people chosen (at random) to hear the evidence of a case and decide whether the person should be declared guilty or innocent.

 

Lawsuit

A lawsuit is when someone takes legal action against another person/party in a court of law.

 

Sentence

This is the decision of the court, usually referring to a particular punishment. A judge decides the sentence.

 

Trial

This is the formal examination of a case in a court of law.

 

Verdict

The verdict is the formal decision of a case. This is decided by a judge or jury.

 

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