Latin word each day, will keep your low grades away

AD curiam - to the court.

Ad infinitum - to infinity.
Ad litem - for the purpose of the lawsuit.
Ad nauseam - to the point of nausea.
ad natum - without cause
Ad testificandum - for testifying, subpoena to appear in court and testify.
Alter ego - another self.
aliunde Lat. From another source. Term is used with "evidence," meaning evidenc
e is from another source. An ambiguous will, for example, is clarified by eviden
ce aliunde, i.e., a source other than the will.
Amicus curiae - friends of court.
Ante litem - before trial.
Arguendo - for the sake of argument.
Bona fide - in good faith, sincere, open.
Caveat beware.
Caveat emptor - let buyer beware.
Caveat venditor - let seller beware.
Certiorari - to be informed of, writ from higher court to lower court ordering a
transcript of proceeding for review.
Chattel - cattle, personal or movable belongings.
Compos mentis - of sound mind, sane.
Corpus -body, estate, any set of materials.
Copus delicti - body of the crime, item upon which the crime is committed.
Culpa - negligence, fault.
Cum laude - with praise.
Curriculum vitae - course of life.
De facto - in fact, actual, real.
De jure - in law, proper, legitimate.
De juris - of the law.
De minimis - only of tiny amount, trivial, inconsequent.
Demurrer - defendant's assertion that the plaintiff complaint is insufficient, o
r does not state cause of action in which a relief can be granted.
De novo - afresh, anew, a new or second hearing, to hear the case from the begin
ning.
Dictum/dicta - comment within a published opinion which does not fully relate to
the topic at hand; dicta cannot be cited as precedent.
Duces tecum - bring with you, to bring item of evidence.
E.g. - exempli gratia, thus, for example.
En banc - on the bench -the entire membership of the appellate court.
En bloc - in the block, as a whole.
Ergo therefore.
Escheat - to fall back, reversion of property to the state because there is no l
egal heirs.
Estoppel -stopped up, a legal ipediment of bringing a legal action.
Et al - and another, referring to the other parties involved not specifically na
med.
Et seq/ et sequences - and the following, reference to materials immediately aft
er the citation.
Et ux, et uxor - and wife, joining the wife in the contract or action.
Ex contractu - from the contract, arising from the contractual obligation.
Ex curia - out of the court.
Ex delicto - from the crime, resulting from the crime, tort or malfeasance.
Ex parte - from one side, something done by one party only.
Ex post facto - after the fact, a law passed with retroactive effect.
Forum - place, venue, tribunal or court.
Forum non conviniens - inconvenient forum, authority of the court to refuse to e
xercise its jurisdiction.
Habeas corpus -you have the body, a writ issued to release someone improperly im
prisoned
Idem - same, the same as above, particularly previously cited material.
I.e. - id est, that is.
In absentia - in the absence of.
In carnera - in a room, in private.
Indicia - signs, identifying marks.
In forma pauperis - as a pauper, permission granted to poor person to continue a
law suit without having to pay cost or fees.
Infra - below, referring to material coming later, particularly in a document
In limine - in the threshold, immediately in the before or beginning of the case
.
In loco parentis - in the place of the parent, a guardian, someone granted with
parental authority.
In medias res - in the middle of the things, right in the middle, without introd
uction.
in pari materia Lat. In the same subject matter. In statutory construction: Stat
utes "in pari materiad nutum - without causea," relating to the same subject mat
ter, should be construed together in order to derive legislative intent
In personam - on the person, sction involving the person himself.
In proper - in propia persona, for oneself, pleading a case on his own behalf wi
thout attorney.
In re - in the thing, in the matter of , particularly when there is only one par
ty.
In rem - on the thing, action brought against the property.
Inter alia -among other things.
Inter alios - among other person.
In toto - in all, entirely, completely.
Inter se - between themselves.
Inter vivos - among the living, gift or property passing through another not by
means of will or anticipation of death.
Inter vires - within the power, an act which a person has the authority to perfo
rm.
Ipse dixit - he said it himself, a bare assertion resting on person's own word.
Ipso facto - by the fact itself, the mere effect of an act or fact.
Jurat - he swears, the clause of the end of the statement showing when, where an
d by whom was the statement was signed under the penalty of perjury.
Juris et de Jure - of law and from law, irrebutable presumption
Laches - lax, loose, slack, failure to perform a duty or assert a right.
Lex scripta - written law.
Lis pendis - pending litigation.
Llb - Legum Baccalaureus, Bachelor of Laws.
locus standi - legal standing
Magna cum laude - with great praise.
Malum in se -wrong by itself.
Malum prohibitum - forbidden wrong, act forbidden by statute.
Mea culpa - my fault.
Mens - mind, intention, knowledge.
Mens rea - a guilty mind, criminal intent.
Mens sana in corpore sano - a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Minutia - small, insignificant details.
Nes plural ultra - no further beyond this point.
Nolo contendere - i will not fight, criminal plea neither admitting nor denying
the charges.
Non compos mentis - not sound mind.
Non sequitor - it is not followed, a conclusion which does not follow logically
from what is based on.
Nunc pro tunc - now for then, phrase applied with retroactive effect to cure a d
efect.
obsta principiis.- resist the first encroachment
Parol - a word, expressed by speech as opposed to evidence by document, oral evi
dence.
Parole - release of a convict whose tern has not expired subject to certain cond
ition
Pendente lite - during litigation.
Per capita - by the head, according to the number of people involved.
Per centum - by hundreds.
Per curiam - by the court, opinion of the appellate court en banc.
Per se - in and of itself.
Post hac - after this.
Post mortem - after death.
Prima facie - first appearance, at first sight, vis a vis - res ipsa loquitor.
Pro bono - for the good, services rendered for free.
Pro forma - for the sake of form.
Pro havoc vice - for this turn, for particular occasion, only for this time.
Pro rata - according to calculation , in proportion.
Pro se - for himself, in propia persona.
Pro tempore - for a time, a temporary substitute.
Qua - who, considered as, acting in the capacity of.
Quaere - question, open to doubt.
Quantum - amount
Quantum meruit - as much as he deserve.
Quasi - as if , term indicating resemblance.
Q.E.D. - quo erad demonstradum, which was to be demonstrated, term applied to an
ything which is obviously true or requires little evidence.
Q.v. - quod vide, which see
Re - a thing, in a matter of.
Remittitur - it is sent back, court order reducing grossly excessive jury award.
Res thing.
res gestae Lat. Things done. The events which form the litigated act. Statement
s made as part of the "res gestae" are admissible in evidence under an exception
to the hearsay rule, when the statement accompanies an event which is otherwise
admissible and explains the event. E.g., a driver states, during an automobile
accident, "My gas pedal is stuck"
res ipsa loquitur Lat. The thing speaks foritself. Doctrine in tort cases which
creates a permissible inference of negligence unless the defendant can prove oth
erwise when (a) the defendant had exclusive control of the thing producing injur
y and (b) the injury wouldnot normally occur without negligence. E.g., a baby ex
hibits clear dog bite marks and the defendant owns the only dog in the neighborh
ood
Res judicata - decided things, conclusive decision.
Reum non actus facit, nisi mens sit rea - there is no crime when there is no int
ent in the mind of the offender.
Res publica - public thing.
Semble - it seems, it appears.
Seratim - in a series, one by one.
Sic thus.
Sine die - without a day, adjournment without specific day to reconvene.
Sine qua non - without which there is nothing.
Situs place.
Sotto voce - under the voice, whisper.
Status quo ante - status as it was earlier.
Stare decisis - let the decision stand.
Sua sponte - by his own will.
Sub nomine - under the name , under the title of.
Sub poena - under the penalty of law.
Supra above.
Ultra vires - beyond the power.
Uxor wife.
Verbatim - word for word.
Viva voce - with the living voice, oral testimony.
Voir dire - to see, to say, examination of a witness, particularly an expert to
establish his qualification.
Legal Maxims
"Kung gusto mong lalong yumabang, magdagdag ng latin sa inyong kaalaman"

A verbis legis non est recedendum You must not vary the words of a statute.

Absoluta sententia expositore non indiget When you have plain words capable of
only one interpretation, no explanation of them is required.

Abundans cautela non nocet There is no harm done by great caution.

Accusare nemo se debet; accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo No one is bound to
accuse himself except to God.
Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta External actions show internal secret
s, i.e., intention may be inferred from a person's actions.

Actus curiae neminem gravabit An act of the Court shall prejudice no one.
Adversus extraneos vitiosa possessio prodesse solet Prior possession is a good
title of ownership against all who cannot show a better.
Aedificatum solo, solo cedit What is built on the land is to be regarded as hav
ing become part of the land.
Aequitas sequitur legem Equity follows the law.
Affirmanti non neganti incumbit probatio The burden of proof is upon him who aff
irms, not upon him who denies.
Ambulatoria est voluntas defuncti usque ad vitae supremum exitum The will of a
deceased person is ambulatory [revocable] until the last moment of life.
Audi alteram partem Hear the other side.
Clausulae inconsuetae semper inducunt suspicionem. Unusual clauses always excite
suspicion.
Consuetudo est altera lex A custom has the force of law.
Contemporanea exposito est optima et fortissima in lege The best way to construe
a document is to read it as it would have read when made.
Contra preferentum If the words in a contract are ambiguous the contract should
be interpreted against the one who wrote the words.
Cujus est dare ejus est disponere He who gives anything can also direct how the
gift is to be used.
Cujus est solum ejus est usque ad coelum Whose is the soil, his is also that whi
ch is above it.
De minimis non curat lex The law does not concern itself with trifles.
Debitor non praesumitur donare A debtor is not presumed to give.
Delegatus non potest delegare A delegate cannot delegate.
Domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium To everyone his house is his surest ref
uge.
Dona clandestina sunt semper suspiciosa Clandestine gifts are always to be regar
ded with suspicion.
Eodem modo quo oritur, eodem modo dissolvitur What has been effected by agreem
ent can be undone by agreement.
Ex dolo malo non oritur actio No right of action can have its origin in fraud.
Ex maleficio non oritur contractus A contract cannot arise out of an illegal act
.
Ex nudo pacto non oritur actio. No right of action arises from a contract entere
d into without consideration.
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio An illegal contract cannot be enforced.
Expedit reipublicae ut finis sit litium It is in the public interest that the de
cision of cases should be final.
Expressio unius personae vel rei, est exclusio alterius The express mention of o
ne person or thing is the exclusion of another.
Fractionem diei non recipit lex The law does not recognize any fraction of a day
.
Fraus omnia vitiat Fraud vitiates everything.
Frustra legis auxilium quaerit qui in legem comittit He who offends against the
law vainly seeks the help of the law.
Generalia specialibus non derogant General things do not derogate from special
things.
Ignorantia juris quod quisque scire tenetur non excusat Ignorance of the law,
which everybody is supposed to know, does not constitute an excuse.
Impotentia excusat legem Impossibility of performance of a legal obligation is a
good excuse.
In pari causa potior est condition possidentis Everyone may keep what he has got
, unless and until someone else can prove a better title.

Injuria non excusat injuriam One wrong does not justify another.

Interpretatio chartarum benigne facienda est ut res magis valeat quam pereat The
 construction of deeds is to be made liberally, so that the thing may survive ra
ther than perish.
Lex non requirit verificari quod apparet curiae The law does not require verific
ation of that which is apparent to the Court.
Mala grammatica non vitiat chartam Bad grammar does not vitiate a deed.
Nemo agit in seipsum No one can take proceedings against himself.
Nemo contra factum suum proprium venire potest No one can go against his own dee
d.

Nemo dat quod non habit. One cannot grant what one does not have.

Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa No one can be judge in his own cause.
Nemo potest facere per alium, quod per se non potest No one can do through ano
ther what he cannot do himself.
Nemo tenetur ad impossibile No one is required to do what is impossible.

Non aliter a significatione verborum recedi oportet quam cum manifestum est aliu
d sensisse testatorem There should be no departure from the ordinary meaning of
words except where it appears that the testator meant something different.
Non videntur qui errant consentire Those who are mistaken are not deemed to cons
ent.
Noscitur a sociis The meaning of a word can be gathered from the context.
Omnia praesumuntur rite et solemniter esse acta All acts are presumed to have be
en done rightly and regularly.
Qui facit per alium facit per se He who acts through another is deemed to act in
person, i.e., a principal is liable for the acts of his agent.
Qui prior est tempore potior est jure He who is first in time has the strongest
claim in law.

Res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet A transaction between others does n
ot prejudice one who was not a party to it.
Rex non potest peccare The King can do no wrong.
Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas So use your property as not to injure your n
eighbour's.
Verba chartarum fortius accipiuntur contra proferentem The words of deeds are to
be interpreted most strongly against him who uses them.
Volenti non fit injuria That to which a man consents cannot be considered an inj
ury.