Legal abbreviations are commonly found in anything from a book to court documents. Having a common set of abbreviations is very important because it allows everyone reading a legal document to understand what is being presented in writing without having to spell out terms that are frequently utilized. You will be surprised at how many very common abbreviations are actually legal-based.
There are literally thousands of legal abbreviations, used under a variety of circumstances both inside and outside of the courtroom. The following is a listing of some of the more common abbreviations and symbols you may encounter in legal documents. Some of these may already be familiar to you, while others are more commonly seen only by those who work within the legal field.
Legal documents are full of abbreviations for legal codes. Not only will they cite criminal charges but you’ll also see legal documents and laws, like the Constitution or the First Amendment. Clarify your understanding and refer to these legal abbreviations for court documents as they relate to legal codes, laws and organizations.
In addition to laws and codes, you’ll commonly find other general legal terms in legal documents. These include words like “class action” and “counterclaim.” Keep your head above water when reading your legal documents by knowing the abbreviations used here.
Even people and court systems get abbreviated in legal documents. It’s just easier to have everything in shorthand, especially for the stenographer. So that you know if you’re the “employee” or “employer,” review people and court term abbreviations.
There are resources available to help people determine the meaning of different legal abbreviations. Some of these resources include GovSpeak, a very extensive database of abbreviations and acronyms that are commonly used in the government.
There are also other very well known sources for legal abbreviations. They include The Bluebook, which is the very popular legal citation guide compiled by the professionals at the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review and University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
