Legal Reasoning and Principles: Key Vocabulary for Law Students

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions relevant to legal reasoning and principles for law students.

Analyze

Taking a single item and figuring out reasons for differences in the numbers.

Evaluate

Systematic process of gathering information and looking at facts, legal principles, and evidence.

Synthesize

To integrate and combine rules, principles, or legal authorities from multiple sources into a single framework.

Deductive Reasoning

Full application of a general legal principle or statute to the specific facts of a case.

Inductive Reasoning

The process of analyzing specific cases or facts to synthesize a general legal rule or principle.

Premise

Previously stated information or arguments.

Conclusion

A statement by a court or judge that explains how the law applies to a specific set of facts in a case.

Argument

A lawyer's written or spoken presentation of reasons and evidence to convince a judge or jury to support a particular legal outcome.

Rationale

The underlying reasons, principles, or justifications that a court or legal system uses to explain a decision, holding, or creation of a legal rule.

Precedent

A prior court decision that establishes a legal principle or rule that courts are generally bound to follow in future cases with similar facts or issues.

Statutory Interpretation

The process by which courts determine the meaning and application of legislation enacted by a legislative body.

Jurisprudence

The theory or philosophy of law; also refers to the body of case law or the science of law.

Holding

The court's determination of a matter of law pivotal to its decision, the legal principle derived from the court's resolution of the issues in the case.

Rule

A statement of law or legal principle that governs conduct or procedure; may be established by statute, precedent, or regulation.

Fact

An actual event; something that can be proven true or false.

Issue

The specific legal question or dispute to be resolved by the court.

Evidence

Information or material presented to a court to prove or disprove alleged facts; includes testimony, documents, and physical objects.

Inference

A logical conclusion drawn from evidence and facts presented in a case.

Ambiguity

A condition in which language of a provision in a legal document is open to more than one reasonable interpretation.

Vagueness

A lack of precision or clarity in language, making it uncertain what is required or prohibited.

Distinguish

To show how a precedent case is not applicable to the current case due to differences in facts or legal issues.

Rebuttal

Evidence or argument presented to counter or disprove evidence or arguments introduced by the opposing party.

Assumption

Something accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof, often forming the basis for legal reasoning.

Axiom

A statement or proposition regarded as being true, established, accepted, or self-evidently true, often used as a foundational principle in legal reasoning.

Validity

The quality of being legally sound, enforceable, or acceptable; also refers to the logical soundness of an argument.

Credibility

The quality of being believable or trustworthy, often used in reference to the reliability of witnesses or evidence.

Corroborate

To confirm or support a statement, theory, or finding with additional evidence or testimony.

Contradiction

A direct opposition between two statements, pieces of evidence, or positions, such that both cannot be true.

Decree

Official order issued by a legal authority.

Proportionality

A principle that the severity of a legal measure or penalty should correspond to the seriousness of the offense or issue.

Consequence

The legal effect or result that follows from a particular action, decision, or legal rule.

Adversarial

Refers to a legal system or proceeding where two opposing parties present their cases to an impartial judge or jury.

Burden of Proof

The obligation to prove one's assertion or claim in a legal proceeding.

Reasonable Doubt

The standard of proof required in criminal cases.

Exigency

Situations that justify a deviation from general legal rules or procedures due to an urgent need.