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 reference to a particular page within an opinion.






2. An error made by the trial judge sufficiently serious to warrant reversing the trial court's decision.






3. Court decisions from an equal or a lower court from the same jurisidiction or from a higher court in a different jurisdiction; also includes secondary authority.






4. 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






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






6. A request that the court order a rehearing of a lawsuit because irregularities - such as errors of the court or jury misconduct - make it probable that an impartial trial do not occur.






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






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






9. A court order requiring a person to appear to testify at a trial or deposition.






10. An opinion that agrees with the majority's result but disagrees with its reasoning.






11. 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.






12. The chronological publication of statutes at the end of a legislative session.






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






14. A test that provides that the defendant is not guity due to insanity if - at the time of the killing the defendant could not control his or her actions.






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






16. A criminal proceeding at which the court informs the defendant of the charges being brought against him or her and the defendant enters a plea.






17. A form in which statutes are published; they are printed individually at the time they are first enacted.






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






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






20. Information about what happened procedurally to the litigation after the case cited. Include this information in a citation. There is no entry for the topic Husband and Wife.






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






22. Evidence that suggests the defendant's guilt.






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






24. The process by which individuals or organizations have their names placed on an official list kept by some private organization or governmental agency.






25. A compilation of federal or state statutes in which the statutes are organized by subject matter rather than by year of enactment.






26. A tort committed by one who intends to do the act that creates the harm.






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






28. Either a subcategory of relevancy or simply another word for relevancy - the requirement that the evidence be more probative than prejudicial.






29. Law dealing with ownership.






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






31. Standard used by appellate courts when reviewing a trial court's findings of fact.






32. A national paralegal association.






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






34. A paralegal who works as an independent contractor rather than as an employee of a law firm or corporation.






35. A suspicion based on specific facts; less than probable cause.






36. The failure of an attorney to act reasonably.






37. The judge informs the jurors of the law they need to know to make their decision.






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






39. Used to describe legislation that changes the common law.






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






41. A verdict ordered by a trial judge if the plaintiff fails to present a prima facie case or if the defendant fails to present a necessary defense.






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






43. A meeting of the attorneys and the judge prior to the beginning of the trial.






44. 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






45. 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.






46. The papers that begin a lawsuit-generally - the complaint and the answer.






47. The standard of proof most commonly used in civil trials. The evidence presented must prove that it is more likely than not the defendant committed the wrong.






48. Land and objects permanently attached to land.






49. Books that contain appellate court decisions. There are both official and unofficial reporters.






50. Techniques for resolving conflicts that are alternatives to full-scale litigation. The two most common are arbitration and mediation.