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. The general jurisdiction trial courts in the federal system.






2. A summary of a court opinion that appears at the beginning of the case.






3. Information that can be presented in a court of law as proof of some fact.






4. Someone who has the power to act in the place of another.






5. All property that is not real property.






6. Governmental publication of court opinions.






7. Determined by whether the evidence leads one to logically conclude that an asserted fact is either more or less probable.






8. Generally - an emergency situation that allows a search to proceed without a warrant.






9. The party in a case who has initiated an appeal.






10. A system of government in which the authority to govern is split between a single - nationwide central government and several regional governments that control specific geographical areas.






11. The standard of proof used in criminal trials. The evidence represented must be so conclusive and complete that all reasonable doubts regarding the facts are removed from the jurors' minds.






12. A means of gaining appellate review; in the U.S. Supreme Court the writ is discretionary and will be issued to another court to review a federal question if four of the nine justices vote to hear the case.






13. A rule that states that evidence obtained in violation of an individual's constitutional rights cannot be used against that individual in a criminal trial.






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






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






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






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






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






19. A method for excusing a prospective juror; no reason need be given.






20. An authoritative secondary source - written by a group of legal scholars - summarizing the existing common law - as well as suggesting what the law should be.






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






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






23. The court's power to review statutes to decide whether they conform to the Constitution.






24. Courts that determine the facts and apply the law to the facts.






25. A worldwide network of computer networks.






26. The defense's request that the court find the prosecution failed to meet its burden and that it remove the case from the jury by finding the defendant not guilty.






27. A law enacted by a state legislature or by Congress.






28. The ethical rule prohibiting attorneys and paralegals from disclosing information regarding a client or a client's case.






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






30. A set of ethical rules developed by the American Bar Association in the 1980s. The Model rules have been adopted by most of the states.






31. The failure to act reasonably under the circumstances.






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






33. A defense whereby the defendant offers new evidence to avoid judgment.






34. Ownership by two or more people. Ownership shares do not have to be equal - but each has an undivided interest in the property. When a tenant in common dies - that person's share passes either by will or by intestate statute.






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






36. A set of standardized jury instructions.






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






38. An intentional act that creates a harmful or offensive physical contact.






39. Being informed of some act done or about to be done.






40. General principles that guide the courts in their interpretation of statutes.






41. A case listed in Shepard's that cites your case.






42. A term used to describe a case that is similar to another case.






43. A professional entity in which the stockholders share in the organization's profits but have their liabilities limited to the amount of their investment.






44. A person who initiates a lawsuit.






45. A rule of evidence that prevents an attorney or a paralegal from being compelled to testify about confidential client information.






46. Summary of one legal point in a court opinion; written by the editors at West.






47. The failure of an attorney to act reasonably.






48. A claim by one defendant against another defendant or by one plaintiff against another plaintiff.






49. Violation of a statute as proof of negligence






50. The failure to act reasonably under the circumstances.