Dictionary of Law

Now, without the option of parole, the term of imprisonment the court imposes is the actual time the person spends in prison. Parole The release of a prison inmate – granted by the U.S. Parole Commission – after the inmate has completed part of his or her sentence in a federal prison. When the parolee is released to the community, he or she is placed under the supervision of a U.S. probation officer.

Tax planning & preparation

A negligent or intentional injury against a person or property, with the exception of breach of contract. Secured debt Debt backed by a mortgage, pledge of collateral, or other lien; debt for which the creditor has the right to pursue specific pledged property upon default. Examples include home mortgages, auto loans and tax liens. Property of the estate All legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. Read more about legal commentaries here. Presentence report A report prepared by a court’s probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 abolished parole in favor of a determinate sentencing system in which the sentence is set by sentencing guidelines.

End Matter

You may have started law school with your mind full of horror stories. Most of the people you attend law school with are genuinely kind and helpful people. Try to find a group or a couple of people that you can trust and lean on when necessary. Your law school friends can help you stay on task, body double, and even provide notes on the days you may be struggling. These friends can be one of your greatest assets throughout your law school journey.

About Federal Courts

That’s what happened in Fernandez v. Commissioner, 138 T.C. Start by trying a plain language search for your firm. The two most commonly used legal dictionaries are Black’s Law Dictionaryand Ballentine’s Law Dictionary. Print copies of Black’s are located on dictionary stands on the fourth and fifth floors. Readers will welcome the detailed commentary of segregation laws in the first part which makes for a valuable reference tool. In other words, although the strict style always carried symbolic associations of law and order, this law had different implications at different times.

An indictment or information may contain allegations that the defendant committed more than one crime. Counsel Legal advice; a term also used to refer to the lawyers in a case. Collateral Property that is promised as security for the satisfaction of a debt. Clerk of court The court officer who oversees administrative functions, especially managing the flow of cases through the court. The clerk’s office is often called a court’s central nervous system. Chapter 9 The chapter of the Bankruptcy Code providing for reorganization of municipalities . Caseload The number of cases handled by a judge or a court.