BANJA LUKA UNIVERSITY LAW FACULTY BANJA LUKA Course: Legal English Week: 25th 29th March 2013

3 Class: III (third) Civil Court Systems. Persons in court. - Claimant (US plaintiff) person who initiates a civil lawsuit - Defendant/respondent person who is sued in a civil lawsuit - Advocate person who pleads cases in court - Judge public official who has the authority to hear and decide cases - Bailiff officer of the court whose duties include keeping order and assisting the judge and jurors - Expert witness person who has specialised knowledge of a particular subject who is called to testify in court - Appellant (US petitioner) person who appeals a decision to a higher court - Clerk employee who takes records, files papers and issues processes - Reasonably prudent person hypothetical person who uses good judgment or common sense in handling practical matters Documents in court. - Affidavit a written statement that somebody makes after they have sworn officially to tell the truth, which might be used as proof in court - Answer the principal pleading by the defendant in response to a complaint - Brief a document or set of documents containing the details about a court case - Complaint in civil law, the first pleading filed on behalf of a plaintiff, which initiates a lawsuit, setting forth the facts on which the claim is based - Injunction an official order from a court for a person to stop doing something - Motion an application to a court to obtain an order, ruling or decision - Notice a document providing notification of a fact, claim or proceeding - Pleading a formal written statement setting forth the cause of action or the defence in a case - Writ a document informing someone that they will be involved in a legal process and instructing them what they must do Useful phrases. - To draft a document - To issue a document - To file a document with an authority - To serve a document on someone/to serve someone with a document - To submit a document to an authority Legal Latin. - Ad hoc; et alii (at al.); et cetera (etc.); exempli gratia (e.g.); id est (i.e.); per se; sic; versus (vs. or v.); de facto; ipso facto; inter alia; per annum; per diem; pro forma; pro rata; quorum; ulta vires Advocate. - Barrister; solicitor; in-house counsel; Legal education. - The Bar; - A call to the Bar;

To admit to the Bar; To disbar; LL.B.; LL.M.; LL.D.; Bar vocational course; Pupillage; barristers' chambers Legal Practice Course; Trainee solicitor; a firm of solicitors Bar examination; Juris doctor (JD);