Abbreviations in Law

There are also other well-known sources of legal abbreviations. These include The Bluebook, the hugely popular guide to legal citations compiled by professionals from Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, and University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Legal abbreviations are used throughout the scientific and practical legal literature. In addition to laws and codes, you will often find other general legal terms in legal documents. These include words such as “class action” and “counterclaim.” Keep your head above water when reading your legal documents by knowing the abbreviations used here. Legal abbreviations are often found in everything from a book to court documents. It is very important to have a common set of abbreviations because anyone who reads a legal document understands what is presented in writing without having to spell out terms that are frequently used. You`ll be surprised how many very common abbreviations are actually legally justified. Acronyms and (to a lesser extent) acronyms were previously interrupted by periods, as were other abbreviations (e.g., Lord appeared earlier than Lord), and so they may appear in older legal reports and commentaries. Note that it does NOT include abbreviations commonly used in legal citations or in company names that we have listed elsewhere.

For abbreviations that are not in this list, here are some other websites to look for: Resources are available to help people determine the meaning of various legal abbreviations. These resources include GovSpeak, a very comprehensive database of abbreviations and acronyms commonly used in government. You will become familiar with the use of legal abbreviations over time. Below are some common law reports and examples of legal journals. The Bluebook is a great resource for searching for legal abbreviations. However, this is a paid resource and is usually not available for free. However, quick reference resources, such as our list of legal abbreviations above, should help you get started. You can also check out Bluebook Abbreviations: Common Words in Case Names as well as abbreviations from federal and district courts if you`re curious to learn more. If you come across abbreviations in your database search or bibliographies or reference lists that you are not sure about, you can quickly check them in the index. For legal abbreviations that were not found online, look for one of the following printed sources.

These publications can be found regularly in legal and other libraries. Below are the acronyms and abbreviations used in the Washington Legal Researcher`s Deskbook 3d, which is commonly found in Washington legal documents. The list contains publications (full titles are in italics); bar associations and legal organizations; Federal and state authorities, committees, commissions and departments; Legal conditions; Court order; Statutes; and electronic databases and services. This is a representative and non-exhaustive list. It is common in legal documents to cite other publications using standard abbreviations for the title of each source. Abbreviations can also be found for common words or legal phrases. These citations and abbreviations can be found in court decisions, laws, ordinances, journal articles, books, and other documents. Below is a basic list of very common abbreviations. Because publishers use different practices when it comes to printing abbreviations, it may happen that abbreviations with or without a period are given for each letter. For example, the Code of Federal Regulations may appear abbreviated as “C.F.R.” or simply “CFR.” There are literally thousands of legal abbreviations used in various circumstances inside and outside the courtroom. Below is a list of some of the most common abbreviations and symbols you may encounter in legal documents. Some of them may already be familiar to you, while others are more often only seen by those who work in the legal field.

Even people and court systems are abbreviated in legal documents. It`s just easier to have everything as a stenographer, especially for the stenographer. To help you know if you are the “employee” or the “employer”, check the people and abbreviations for the terms of the court. Legal documents are full of abbreviations for legal codes. Not only will you cite criminal charges, but you will also see legal documents and laws such as the Constitution or the First Amendment. Clarify your understanding and refer to these legal abbreviations for court documents as they refer to legal codes, laws, and organizations. UCP – Universal Customs & Practice (for documentary letters of credit). CPD – Continuing Professional Development, a system used to ensure that professionals meet their standards of competence An acronym is an abbreviated name or description consisting of the initial letters of the full name or description and pronounced as a series of initials rather than a word. For example, BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation. This interactive online tutorial: Getting Started with OneSearch will help you get started with the Library Discovery Tool. At Lancaster, you have access to Cite Them Right: the essential guide to SEO and plagiarism. You can learn more about resource lists and how to use them on our website.

OCOF – One Case One Fee: the system by which a lawyer receives a fixed fee, regardless of the complexity or duration of the case. You can find a specific playlist or readings in the Moodle section of your module. You can also have a list of interactive resources online – look for the puzzle or open book icon. IT – Labour Court (former name of the Labour Court). A.L.R (2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th) – American Law Reports (followed by the number it represents in the series or number) An acronym is a word or name composed of the first letters of each word in a title or description. For example, NATO is an acronym for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. IPS – Ilex Professional Standards, the regulatory authority of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives BSB – Bar Standards Board, established by the Council of the Order as the regulatory authority for lawyers JJ – Justices (plural, after listing their surnames). Chicago, Harvard, OSCOLA, APA, IEEE, MLA, Vancouver and MHRA. Cite Them Right covers the range of SEO styles that can be used, including P – President (after the last name of the chairman of a Supreme Court department) Use OneSearch to search for books, magazines, articles, DVDs, and more. Sen Cts – Senior Courts (i.e. The High Court and court of Appeal, replaces the former term Supreme Court) DC – Divisional Court (generally, but not exclusively, the Queen`s Bench Division) LASPO – Legal Aid, Conviction and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (sometimes LASPOA) JSC – Supreme Court Justice (by title) CFR – Appeal for Answers or Code of Federal Regulations PI – Personal Injury (Related to Claims for Damages) QBD – Division of the Supreme Court (by title) CFR – Appeal for Answers or Code of Federal Regulations PI – Personal Injury (Related to Claims for Damages) QBD – Division of the Supreme Court (by title) CFR – Appeal for Answers or Code of Federal Regulations PI – Personal Injury (Related to Claims for Damages) QBD – Division of the Supreme Court Queen`s Bench (B. of the High Court).

– ad sectam (Latin), as c. in cases, except that the defendant is listed first (e.g. Wade ads. Roe). LSS – Litigation and Settlements Strategy (of HMRC) Adapted by: Washington Legal Researcher`s Deskbook, 3d, pages 263-69 (2002). SC(E) – Supreme Court, at the hearing of appeals from the courts of England and Wales HMSO – Her Majesty`s Stationery Office – official printers of government publications CJEU – European Court of Justice (in Luxembourg; also known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities / Union) LCCSA – London Criminal Courts Solicitors` Association CLC – Council for Licensed Conveyancers, The regulatory authority of approved promoters Many databases allow you to: use the abbreviation in the search. NCP – Penalty Notice, usually for parking in the wrong place, driving in the congestion area without payment or any other violation of a fixed penalty, MLA – Member of the Legislative Assembly (of Northern Ireland). Admin Ct – Administrative Tribunal (which is part of the Queen`s Bench Division) ECHR (or ECHR) – European Court of Human Rights (in Strasbourg).