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. Negligence by the plaintiff that contributed to his or her injury. Normally - any finding of contributory negligence acts as a complete bar to a plaintiff's recovery.






2. Information about what happened procedurally to the litigation after the case cited. Include this information in a citation.






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






4. Governmental publication of court opinions.






5. A requirement that a party fulfill his or her contractual obligations.






6. A motion brought before the beginning of a trial either to eliminate the necessity for a trial or to limit the information that can be heard at the trial.






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






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






9. A set charge for a specific service - such as drafting a simple will.






10. In logic - an argument is considered to be valid or sound if the assumption underlying the argument are true.






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






12. A privately published statutory code that includes editorial features - such as summaries of court opinions that have interpreted the statutes.






13. A court order that ends a lawsuit; the suit cannot be refiled by the same parties.






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






15. A request made to the court.






16. A statutory citation is a formalized method for referring to a statute's chapter (or title) and section numbers.






17. Questions relating to what happened: who - what - when - where - and how.






18. 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.






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






20. Something of value exchanged to form the basis of a contract.






21. A decision is overruled when a court in a later case changes the law so that its prior decision is no longer good law.






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






23. The background documents created during the process of a bill becoming a statute. These documents can include alternative versions of the legislation - proceedings of committee hearings and reports - and transcripts of floor debates.






24. A witness who possesses skill and knowledge beyond that of the average person.






25. A compilation of federal administrative regulations arranged by agency.






26. A court's prior permission for the police to search and seize.






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






28. Not factually true - but accepted by the courts as being legally true.






29. The heading section of a pleading that contains the names of the parties - the name of the court - the title of the action - the docket or file number - and the name of the pleading.






30. Someone in court testifying to what someone said out of court for the purpose of establishing the truth of what was said.






31. The publication of false statements that harm a person's reputation.






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






33. Law that creates rights and duties.






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






35. A claim that based on the law and the facts is sufficient to support a lawsuit. If the plaintiff does not state a valid cause of action in the complaint - the court will dismiss it.






36. A repeat offender; one who continues to commit more crimes.






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






38. A calendering system that records key dates and important deadlines.






39. The way in which a question of fact is established. Evidence can consist of witness testimony or documents and exhibits. It is the proof presented at a trial.






40. Including more than one count in a complaint; the counts do not need to be consistent.






41. A provision in a deed that prohibits specified uses of the property.






42. The purpose of the legislature at the time it enacted the statute.






43. The law itself - such as statutes and court opinions.






44. The requirement that defendants be notified of their rights to remain silent and to have an attorney present prior to being questioned by the police.






45. An issue that the court has never faced before.






46. When only one court has the power to hear a case.






47. A judgment that reverses the verdict of the jury when the verdict had no reasonable factual support or was contrary to law.






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






49. A trial court error that is not sufficient to warrant reversing the decision.






50. A computer program that allows the user to retrieve web documents that match the key words entered by the searcher.