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. Ownership by two or more persons who have equal rights in the use of the property. When a joint tenant dies - that person's share passes to the other joint tenant(s).






2. An online legal database containing court decisions and statutes from the entire country - as well as secondary authority; a competitor to Westlaw.






3. The doctrine stating that normally once a court has decided one way on a particular issue - it and other courts in the same jurisdiction will decide the same way on that issue in future cases given similar facts unless they can be convinced of the ne






4. The rules whereby all members of a law firm are treated as though they had represented the former client.






5. Any tangible object - like a bloody glove.






6. Specific questions that usually demand very short or yes-no answers.






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






8. When an appellate court that normally sits in panels sits as a whole.






9. A person who initiates a lawsuit.






10. A decision is reversed when an appellate court overturns or negates the decision of a lower court.






11. The power of a court to hear a case.






12. An advance or down payment that is given to engage the services of an attorney.






13. A defense requiring proof that the defendant was not mentally responsible.






14. The power of government to take private property for public purposes.






15. Evidence that does not add any new information but that confirms facts that already have been established.






16. A court's power to hear only specialized cases.






17. Voluntarily and knowingly subjecting oneself to danger.






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






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






20. A defense requiring proof that the defendant was forced to take an action to avoid a greater harm.






21. 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.






22. A court where a permanent record is kept of the testimony - lawyers' remarks - and judges' rulings.






23. A requirement that property be fit for the purpose for which it is being rented. Owners are required to repair and maintain the premises at certain minimum levels.






24. The delivery of a pleading or other paper in a lawsuit to the opposing party.






25. A witness who has not been shown to have any special expertise.






26. A warrant that allows the police to enter without announcing their presence in advance.






27. A professional entity in which the owners share in the organization's profits but are not liable for the malpractice of their partners.






28. The power of a court to hear a particular type of case.






29. Money is awarded to a plaintiff in payment for his or her actual losses.






30. A body of principles and rules that are either explicitly stated in - or inferred from - the constitutions of the United States and those of the individual states.






31. A computerized database that contains key information about the content of documents - such as medical records.






32. A constitutional fairness requirement that a defendant have at least a certain minimum level of contact with a state before the state courts can have jurisdiction over the defendant.






33. Court decisions from a higher court in the same jurisdiction.






34. The intermediate appellate courts in the federal system.






35. A claim by a defendant against someone in addition to the persons the plaintiff has already sued.






36. The requirement in a legal malpractice case that the plaintiff-client prove that but for the attorney's negligence - the client would have won.






37. Courts that determine whether lower courts have made errors of law.






38. The failure to act reasonably under the circumstances.






39. An activity that requires professional judgment - or the educational ability to relate law to a specific legal problem.






40. In writing - a technique used to help your reader move from one thought to the next and to see the connections between them.






41. A temporary transfer of personal property to someone other than the owner for a specified purpose.






42. Fairness; a court's power to do justice. Equity powers allow judges to take action when otherwise the law would limit their decisions to monetary awards. Equity powers include a judge's ability to issue an injunction and to order specific performance






43. A nonbinding process in which attorneys for both sides present synopses of their cases to a jury - which renders an advisory opinion on the basis of these presentations.






44. The power of the federal courts to hear matters of state law if the opposing parties are from different states and the amounts in controversy exceeds $75 -000.00






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






46. An actual incident or condition; not a legal consequence.






47. Cases that involve similar facts and rules of law.






48. A defense requiring proof that the defendant would not have committed the crime but for police trickery.






49. Occurs whenever one person - through force or the threat of force - unlawfully detains another person against his or her will.






50. A reason for invalidating a statute where it covers both protected and criminal activity.