Archives: Glossary

The official chronological publication of every law and concurrent resolution enacted by Congress, arranged by the order of enactment and cited by volume and page, such as 48 Stat. 112.

Latin for “body.” In trust law, the trust corpus is the property held in a trust, also called the principal or the trust res. The word also appears in phrases such as habeas corpus.

The compilation of the general and permanent laws of the United States, arranged by subject into titles and prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives.

For the United States Code, a title that Congress has enacted as law itself. Under 1 U.S.C. § 204, the text of a positive-law title is legal evidence of the law, while the other titles are prima facie evidence of the law.

The name that identifies a person for legal purposes. For an individual, it is generally the name recorded at birth unless lawfully changed, for example by marriage or court order. For a business entity, it is the name in its formation documents.

Paper currency issued by the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 authorized the notes (12 U.S.C. § 411), and federal law makes them legal tender for all debts (31 U.S.C. § 5103).

Latin for “in one’s own person.” Appearing in court for yourself, without an attorney. Also called pro per or pro se.

The capacity to hold legal rights and duties, such as owning property, making contracts, and suing or being sued. Every natural person has it, and the law gives it to certain artificial persons such as corporations. Some arrangements do not have it; for example, under California law a trust is generally not a legal personality, and the trustee sues or is sued on its behalf.

Something the law treats as true, even if it is not literally true, so that a legal rule can work. A common example is treating a corporation as a “person” that can own property, make contracts and be sued.

A human being, as distinguished from an artificial person such as a corporation.