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