Test your basic knowledge |

Paralegal 101

Subject : law
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A defense whereby the defendant offers new evidence to avoid judgment.






2. Law that creates rights and duties.






3. A defendant's personal promise to appear in court.






4. When an appellate court overturns or negates the decision of a lower court.






5. Voluntarily and knowingly subjecting oneself to danger.






6. Evidence that suggests the defendant's innocence.






7. The rule that in order to claim self-defense there must have been no possibility of retreat.






8. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.






9. Also known as real estate; land and items growing on or permanently attached to that land.






10. Consists of records - contracts - leases - wills - and other written instruments.






11. A person appointed by the court to manage the affairs or property of a person who is incompetent due to age or some other reason.






12. A decision is affirmed when the litigants appeal the trial court decision and the higher court agrees with what the lower court has done.






13. Occurs when the police restrain a person's freedom and charge the person with a crime.






14. An opinion that disagrees with the majority's decision and its reasoning.






15. In deductive reasoning - the statement of a broad proposition that forms the starting point; in law - the statement of a legal rule that you can find in a statute or court opinion.






16. A lawsuit brought by a person as a representative for a group of people who have been similarly injured.






17. A nonlawyer who provides legal services directly to the public without being under the supervision of an attorney. Absent a statute allowing this activity - it constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.






18. In logic - a belief that justifies one in arguing a conclusion.






19. An online legal databease containing court decisions and statutes from the entire country - as well as secondary authority; a competitor to Lexis.






20. A transfer of real property rights that occurs after someone other than the owner has had actual - open - adverse - and exclusive use of the property for a statutorily determined number of years.






21. The failure of an attorney to act reasonably.






22. An opinion that disagrees with the majority's decision and reasoning.






23. A separable part of a statute that must be satisfied for the statute to apply.






24. Usually organized as either a partnership or a professional corporation - law clinics provide low-cost legal services on routine matters by stressing low overhead and high volume.






25. Rules and regulations created by administrative agencies.






26. A constitutional protection against being tried twice for the same crime.






27. An attorney's written argument presented to an appeals court - setting forth a statement of the law as it should be applied to the client's facts.






28. When an appellate court sends a case back to the trial court for a new trial or other action.






29. The educated ability to apply law to specific facts.






30. A special type of joint tenancy applicable only to married couples.






31. The division of governmental power among the legislative - executive - and judicial branches.






32. Body of law that has evolved from judicial decisions in cases that do not involve constitutional - statutory - or administrative regulation interpretation.






33. Establishes a direct link to the event that must be proven.






34. The tenant's right to be free from interference from the landlord with respect to how the property is used.






35. A national organization of paralegal programs that promotes high standards for paralegal education.






36. A court order requiring a party to perform a specific act or to cease doing a specific act.






37. In law - a per curium decision (or opinion) is a ruling issued by an appellate court of multiple judges in which the decision rendered is made by the court (or at least a majoirty of the court) acting collectively and anonymously.






38. A statement in a judicial opinion not necessary for the decision of the case.






39. An approach whereby the courts give a statute a broad interpretation.






40. A law promulgated by an administrative agency.






41. An ADR mechanism whereby a neutral third party assists the parties in reaching a mutually agreeable - voluntary compromise.






42. The right of the police to detain an individual for a brief period of time and to search the outside of the person's clothing if the police have a reasonable suspicion that the individual has committed or is about to commit crime.






43. The pretrial oral questioning of a witness under oath.






44. All property that is not real property.






45. The process of signaling that you are really listening - accomplished by using verbal and nonverbal clues - paraphrasing - and reflecting the client's feelings.






46. Cases that involve different facts and/or rules of law.






47. Money awarded to a plaintiff in cases of intentional torts in order to punish the defendant and serve as a warning to others.






48. The questioning of an opposing witness.






49. When an appellate court sends a case back to the trial court for a new trial or other action.






50. The decision of the court regarding the claims of each side. It may be based on a jury's verdict.