Legal Glossary

Attorney/Lawyer

An advocate, counsel, or official agent employed in preparing, managing, and trying cases in the courts

Cy Pres

Residual funds in class action cases (and occasionally in other types of proceedings like bankruptcy and probate matters) that, for any number of reasons, are unclaimed or cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries who were the intended recipients

Hearing

A brief court session (in-person or virtual) that addresses a specific question or resolves a specific issue regarding one’s court case

Legal Aid

Legal assistance at little to no cost from an organization that specializes in providing legal services at a lower cost

Limited Scope Representation

An agreement with a lawyer to get help with part of your case, usually for a fixed rate

Motion

A request to speak to the judge on a specific part of a case. This can be written or spoken

Pro Bono

Legal work done by an attorney as a special case for little to no cost

Pro-se litigant

(pronounced “pro-say”); A person who does not have a lawyer and is representing themselves in court