Register

What register means

Put simply, register is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.

Where register comes up

The term is used across many kinds of cases. For example, you may see it in pleadings, motions and court orders. To see it in context, browse the motions and procedures library or the Learn the Law topics.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if register appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read register in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

You can read the current federal court rules online for free.

Related legal terms

• Record on appeal: the materials the appellate court reviews: the original papers and exhibits filed in the trial court, the transcript of proceedings, and a certified copy of the docket entries (Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 10(a)).
• Recovery: what a party obtains through a lawsuit, settlement or other legal process, such as money damages or the return of property. In accounting, a recovery is an amount collected on a debt that was previously charged off.
• Recusal: a judge's withdrawal from a case because of a conflict of interest or because the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned. In federal court, 28 U.S.C. § 455 sets out when a judge must step aside, and a party can ask for it by motion.
• Recuse: to step aside from hearing a case. A judge recuses when there is a conflict of interest or other reason the judge should not decide the matter. A party asks a judge to recuse by filing a motion for recusal.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.