List of legal abbreviations
Encyclopedia
It is common practice in legal documents to cite to other publications by using standard abbreviations for the title of each source. Abbreviations may also be found for common words or legal phrases. Such citations and abbreviations are found in court decisions, statutes, regulations, journal articles, books, and other documents. Below is a basic list of very common abbreviations. Because publishers adopt different practices regarding how abbreviations are printed, one may find abbreviations with or without periods for each letter. For example, the Code of Federal Regulations
may appear abbreviated as "C.F.R." or just as "CFR."
For abbreviations not found in this list, here are alternate websites to search:
For legal abbreviations not found online, try searching one of the following print sources. These publications are regularly found at law and other libraries.
List Of Common Legal Abbreviations Or Terms
Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
may appear abbreviated as "C.F.R." or just as "CFR."
For abbreviations not found in this list, here are alternate websites to search:
- Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government (maintained by IUPUI)
- The Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations (maintained by Cardiff University).
For legal abbreviations not found online, try searching one of the following print sources. These publications are regularly found at law and other libraries.
- Garner, Brian. Black's Law DictionaryBlack's Law DictionaryBlack's Law Dictionary is the most widely used law dictionary in the United States. It was founded by Henry Campbell Black. It is the reference of choice for definitions in legal briefs and court opinions and has been cited as a secondary legal authority in many U.S...
. 9th ed. St. Paul, MN: West Pub. Co., 2009. - Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of CitationBluebookThe Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal....
". 18th ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Law Review Association, 2005. - McGill Law Journal. Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation. 6th ed. Toronto: Carswell, 2006.
- Prince, Mary Miles. Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations. 6th ed. Buffalo, NY: Hein, 2009.
- Raistrick, Donald. Index to Legal Citations and Abbreviations. 3rd ed. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2008.
List Of Common Legal Abbreviations Or Terms
Symbol
- © — Copyright, meaning someone claims ownership of the text, book, music, software, etc.
- ® — Registered Trademark (typically a word or phrase identifying a company or product, e.g. Coca Cola)
A
- A. — Atlantic ReporterAtlantic ReporterThe Atlantic Reporter is a United States regional case law reporter. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B. West for West Publishing Company, which is now part of Thomson West....
- A.2d — Atlantic Reporter, 2nd Series
- Ala. Admin. Code — Alabama Administrative Code (unofficial text)
- Ala. Code — Code of Alabama 1975 (unofficial text)
- Alaska Admin. Code — Alaska Administrative Code (unofficial text)
- Alaska Stat. — Alaska Statutes (unofficial text)
- All ER — All England Law ReportsAll England Law ReportsThe All England Law Reports are a long-running series of law reports covering cases from the court system in England and Wales....
- A.L.R. — American Law ReportsAmerican Law ReportsIn American law, the American Law Reports are a resource used by American lawyers to find a variety of sources relating to specific legal rules, doctrines, or principles. It has been published since 1919 and remains an important tool for legal research....
- A.L.R.2d — American Law Reports, 2nd Series
- A.L.R.3d — American Law Reports, 3rd Series
- A.L.R.4th — American Law Reports, 4th Series
- A.L.R.5th — American Law Reports, 5th Series
- A.L.R.6th — American Law Reports, 6th Series
- A.L.R. Fed. — American Law Reports, Federal
- Am. Jur. — American JurisprudenceAmerican JurisprudenceAmerican Jurisprudence is an encyclopedia of United States law, published by West. It was originated by Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, which was subsequently acquired by the Thomson Corporation. The series is now in its second edition, launched in 1962...
- Am. Jur. 2d. — American Jurisprudence, 2nd Series
- Anor - Another
- Ariz. Admin. Code — Arizona Administrative Code (unofficial text)
- Ariz. Admin. Reg. — Arizona Administrative Register (unofficial text)
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. — Arizona Revised Statutes (unofficial text)
- Ark. Code — Arkansas Code (unofficial text)
- Art - Article
- Atty - Attorney
B
- B.A.P. — Bankruptcy Appellate PanelBankruptcy Appellate PanelA Bankruptcy Appellate Panel is a group of judges of the United States bankruptcy courts who are appointed to hear appeals from certain bankruptcy cases under the supervision of the United States courts of appeals....
- BFP — Bona fide purchaserBona fide purchaserA bona fide purchaser referred to more completely as a bona fide purchaser for value without notice is a term used in the law of real property and personal property to refer to an innocent party who purchases property without notice of any other party's claim to the title of that property...
- BR or B/R — BankruptcyBankruptcyBankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
(also the abbreviation for the United States bankruptcy courts reporter, West's Bankruptcy Reporter)
C
- c. — ChapterChapterChapter, as an organizational class title, may refer to:* A main division of a piece of writing or document, as a Chapter and a chapter in legislation...
- cc. — Chapters
- CA — Class actionClass actionIn law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
- CB — CasebookCasebookA casebook is a type of textbook used primarily by students in law schools. Rather than simply laying out the legal doctrine in a particular area of study, a casebook contains excerpts from legal cases in which the law of that area was applied. It is then up to the student to analyze the language...
- CC — Commerce ClauseCommerce ClauseThe Commerce Clause is an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution . The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." Courts and commentators have tended to...
- C-C — CounterclaimCounterclaimIn civil procedure, a party's claim is a counterclaim if the defending party has previously made a claim against the claiming party.Examples of counterclaims include:...
- CE — Collateral estoppelCollateral estoppelCollateral estoppel , known in modern terminology as issue preclusion, is a common law estoppel doctrine that prevents a person from relitigating an issue. One summary is that "once a court has decided an issue of fact or law necessary to its judgment, that decision .....
- CL — Common lawCommon lawCommon law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
- CNeg — Contributory negligenceContributory negligenceContributory negligence in common-law jurisdictions is defense to a claim based on negligence, an action in tort. It applies to cases where a plaintiff/claimant has, through his own negligence, contributed to the harm he suffered...
- COA — Court of AppealsAppellate courtAn appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
- Cx — ConstitutionConstitutionA constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
- Cx-C — Cross-claimCross-claimA crossclaim is a claim asserted between codefendants or coplaintiffs in a case and that relates to the subject of the original claim or counterclaim Black's Law Dictionary.-U.S. Federal courts:...
- Cxl — Constitutional
- Cal. Code — California Code (unofficial text?)
- Cal. Code Reg. — California Code of Regulations (see: CCR below)
- CCR — California Code of Regulations (official text?) (source: Thomson/West)
- CIF — Coming into forceComing into forceComing into force or entry into force refers to the process by which legislation, regulations, treaties and other legal instruments come to have legal force and effect...
- C.F.R. — Code of Federal RegulationsCode of Federal RegulationsThe Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
- CFR — Call for Response (At the US Supreme Court, if the other side has stated it will not respond to a petition for cert.CertiorariCertiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
, any Justice may direct the Clerk to call for a response.) - CJS — Corpus Juris SecundumCorpus Juris SecundumCorpus Juris Secundum is an encyclopedia of U.S. law . Its full title is Corpus Juris Secundum: Complete Restatement Of The Entire American Law As Developed By All Reported Cases It contains an alphabetical arrangement of legal topics as developed by U.S...
- Cong. Rec. — Congressional RecordCongressional RecordThe Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
- Ct. Cl. — the United States Court of Federal ClaimsUnited States Court of Federal ClaimsThe United States Court of Federal Claims is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. The court is established pursuant to Congress's authority under Article One of the United States Constitution...
Reporter
F
- F. — Federal ReporterFederal ReporterThe Federal Reporter is a case law reporter in the United States that is published by West Publishing. It begins with cases decided in 1880. It was preceded by Federal Cases...
- F.2d — Federal Reporter, 2nd Series
- F.3d — Federal Reporter, 3rd Series
- F.App'x — Federal AppendixFederal AppendixThe Federal Appendix is a case law reporter published by West Publishing. It publishes judicial opinions of the United States courts of appeals that have been not been selected for publication. Such "unpublished" cases are ostensibly without value as precedent. However, the Supreme Court made a...
- F.Cas. — Federal Cases 1789–1880Federal CasesFederal Cases, circuit and district courts, 1789–1880 was a law report of cases decided by the United States district and circuit courts between 1789 and 1880. In court citation it is abbreviated F.Cas. It was superseded by Federal Reporter and Federal Supplement....
- Fed. Reg. (sometimes FR) — Federal RegisterFederal RegisterThe Federal Register , abbreviated FR, or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains most routine publications and public notices of government agencies...
(see Federal Register for full text from 1994 to date) - Fed. R. Bankr. P. — Federal Rules of Bankruptcy ProcedureFederal Rules of Bankruptcy ProcedureThe Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure are a set of rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of the United States under the Rules Enabling Act, directing procedures in the United States bankruptcy courts...
- Fed. R. Civ. P. (sometimes FRCP) — Federal Rules of Civil ProcedureFederal Rules of Civil ProcedureThe Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern civil procedure in United States district courts. The FRCP are promulgated by the United States Supreme Court pursuant to the Rules Enabling Act, and then the United States Congress has 7 months to veto the rules promulgated or they become part of the...
- Fed. R. Crim. P. — Federal Rules of Criminal ProcedureFederal Rules of Criminal ProcedureThe Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure are the procedural rules that govern how federal criminal prosecutions are conducted in United States district courts, the general trial courts of the U.S. government. As such, they are the companion to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure...
- Fed. R. Evid. (sometimes FRE) — Federal Rules of EvidenceFederal Rules of EvidenceThe is a code of evidence law governing the admission of facts by which parties in the United States federal court system may prove their cases, both civil and criminal. The Rules were enacted in 1975, with subsequent amendments....
- F.Supp. — Federal SupplementFederal SupplementThe Federal Supplement is a case law reporter published by West Publishing in the United States that includes select opinions of the United States district courts. Though West is a private company that does not have a legal monopoly over the court opinions it publishes, it has so dominated the...
- F.Supp.2d — Federal Supplement, 2nd Series
G
- GATT — General Agreement on Tariffs and TradeGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and TradeThe General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
- GVR — Grant, Vacate, and RemandGVR OrderThe Supreme Court of the United States may issue GVR orders. It stands for grant, vacate, and remand. These orders are especially appropriate when there has been a change in the law subsequent to the lower court or agency's decision. GVR orders are designed to be efficient and thus are not full...
I
- I.L.M. — International Legal Materials
- IRB — Internal Revenue Bulletin (from July 2003 to date)
- IRC — Internal Revenue CodeInternal Revenue CodeThe Internal Revenue Code is the domestic portion of Federal statutory tax law in the United States, published in various volumes of the United States Statutes at Large, and separately as Title 26 of the United States Code...
- ISLN — International Standards Lawyer Number
J
- J — JudgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
or Justice, according to jurisdiction - JMOL — Judgment as a matter of lawJudgment as a matter of lawJudgment as a matter of law is a motion made by a party, during trial, claiming the opposing party has insufficient evidence to reasonably support its case. JMOL is also known as a directed verdict, which it has replaced in American Federal courts.JMOL is similar to judgment on the pleadings and...
- JNOV — Judgment notwithstanding verdictJudgment notwithstanding verdictJudgment notwithstanding the verdict, also called judgment non obstante veredicto, or JNOV, is a type of judgment as a matter of law that is ordered at the conclusion of a jury trial....
- Jx - JurisdictionJurisdictionJurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
L
- L/C — Letter of creditLetter of creditA standard, commercial letter of credit is a document issued mostly by a financial institution, used primarily in trade finance, which usually provides an irrevocable payment undertaking....
- LLC — Limited liability companyLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
- LLP — Limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
N
- N.E. — North Eastern ReporterNorth Eastern ReporterThe North Eastern Reporter and North Eastern Reporter Second are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B. West for West Publishing Company, which is now part of Thomson West....
- N.E.2d — North Eastern Reporter, 2nd Series
- No. - Number
- N.W. — North Western ReporterNorth Western ReporterThe North Western Reporter and North Western Reporter, Second Series are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B...
- N.W.2d — North Western Reporter, 2nd Series
P
- ¶ (PilcrowPilcrowThe pilcrow , also called the paragraph mark, paragraph sign, paraph, alinea , or blind P, is a typographical character commonly used to denote individual paragraphs...
)— ParagraphParagraphA paragraph is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. A paragraph consists of one or more sentences. The start of a paragraph is indicated by beginning on a new line. Sometimes the first line is indented... - Π (Greek letterGreek alphabetThe Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
PiPi (letter)Pi is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing . In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 80. Letters that arose from pi include Cyrillic Pe , Coptic pi , and Gothic pairthra .The upper-case letter Π is used as a symbol for:...
) — PlaintiffPlaintiffA plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court... - P. — Pacific ReporterPacific ReporterThe Pacific Reporter, Pacific Reporter Second and Pacific Reporter Third are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B...
- P.2d — Pacific Reporter, 2nd Series
- P.3d — Pacific Reporter, 3rd Series
- p. — Page
- pp. — Pages
- PL — Public Law
- Pub.L. — Public Law
R
- R — RexRex- People :* Rex , for people with the given name "Rex"* Rex , for people with the surname "Rex"- Places :* Rex, Georgia, an unincorporated community in Clayton County, United States...
or ReginaReginaRegina is a Late Latin feminine name meaning "queen" from the Latin, Italian and Romanian word meaning the same.-Given name:*Regina , 8th century French concubine of Charlemagne*Regina , Slovenian singer... - R.E. or R/E — Real EstateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
- Rev. Proc. — Revenue Procedure (published in IRB)
- Rev. Rul. — Revenue RulingRevenue RulingRevenue Rulings are public administrative rulings by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States federal government that apply the law to particular factual situations. A revenue ruling can be relied upon as precedent by all taxpayers....
(published in IRB)
S
- s. or § — SectionSection signThe section sign , also called the "double S", "sectional symbol" or signum sectiōnis, is a typographical character used mainly to refer to a particular section of a document, such as a legal code. It is frequently used along with the pilcrow , or paragraph sign...
- sd = said
- ss. or §§ — Sections
- S.C.R. (or SCR) — Supreme Court ReportsSupreme Court ReportsThe Supreme Court Reports is the official reporter of the Supreme Court of Canada. Since the creation of the Supreme Court, all of its decisions have been published in the Reports, in both English and French. The first volume was published in 1877 containing the first case ever heard by the...
(Supreme Court of CanadaSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
) - S.Ct. — Supreme Court Reporter (Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
) - S.E. — South Eastern ReporterSouth Eastern ReporterThe South Eastern Reporter and South Eastern Reporter Second are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B...
- S.E.2d — South Eastern Reporter, 2nd Series
- SCOTUS - Supreme Court of the United States (Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
) - SI — StatutoryStatuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
instrumentsLegal instrumentLegal instrument is a legal term of art that is used for any formally executed written document that can be formally attributed to its author, records and formally expresses a legally enforceable act, process, or contractual duty, obligation, or right, and therefore evidences that act, process, or... - S/J — Summary judgmentSummary judgmentIn law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
- SMJ — Subject-matter jurisdictionSubject-matter jurisdictionSubject-matter jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear cases of a particular type or cases relating to a specific subject matter. For instance, bankruptcy court only has the authority to hear bankruptcy cases....
- So. — Southern ReporterSouthern ReporterThe Southern Reporter, the Southern Reporter Second and the Southern Reporter Third are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B...
- So. 2d — Southern Reporter, 2nd Series
- SOL — Statute of LimitationsStatute of limitationsA statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
- SOR — Statutory Orders and Regulations
- Stat. — United States Statutes at LargeUnited States Statutes at LargeThe United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat., are the official source for the laws and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress...
(See United States CodeUnited States CodeThe Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
) - S.W. — South Western ReporterSouth Western ReporterThe South Western Reporter, South Western Reporter Second and South Western Reporter Third are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B...
- S.W.2d — South Western Reporter, 2nd Series
- S.W.3d — South Western Reporter, 3rd Series
T
- T.D. — Treasury Decision
- ™ or TM — Trademark (such as a word or phrase identifying a company or product)
U
- UCC — Uniform Commercial CodeUniform Commercial CodeThe Uniform Commercial Code , first published in 1952, is one of a number of uniform acts that have been promulgated in conjunction with efforts to harmonize the law of sales and other commercial transactions in all 50 states within the United States of America.The goal of harmonizing state law is...
- UCMJ — Uniform Code of Military JusticeUniform Code of Military JusticeThe Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
(Laws of the U.S. military) - UPC — Uniform Probate CodeUniform Probate CodeThe Uniform Probate Code is a uniform act drafted by National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws governing inheritance and the decedents' estates in the United States...
- U.S. — United States Reports (beginning with v. 502 (1991))
- USC — United States CodeUnited States CodeThe Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
(A free website for the full text is at U.S. Code. This text is maintained by the U.S. Gov't Printing Office, but must be checked for revisions or amendments after its effective date.) - USCA — United States Code Annotated
- USCCAN — United States Code Congressional and Administrative NewsUnited States Code Congressional and Administrative NewsThe United States Code Congressional and Administrative News is a West Group publication that collects selected Congressional and administrative materials for publication in a single resource. U.S.C.C.A.N. was first published in 1941 with the 1st Session of the 77th Congress and has been published...
- USCS — United States Code Service
- UST — United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (See Treaty seriesTreaty seriesA Treaty series is an officially published collection of treaties and other international agreements.-League of Nations:The League of Nations Treaty Series was a result of article 18 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, which stated:...
.)
W
- WTO — World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
- W. Va. Code — West Virginia Code (unofficial text)