General (not jurisdiction-specific)

A procedure for resolving competing claims to the same money or property in one case.

Has two main meanings. First, an evidentiary privilege is a legal right to withhold certain information from discovery or testimony, such as attorney-client privilege. Second, a privilege can be a special right, benefit or immunity granted by law, such as a license; the Constitution also protects certain “privileges and immunities” of citizens (art. IV, § 2) and bars states from abridging the “privileges or immunities” of U.S. citizens (Fourteenth Amendment). Calling something a privilege does not mean the government can take it away without due process (Bell v. Burson, 402 U.S. 535 (1971)).

A lawsuit in which one or more people sue or are sued as representatives of a larger group.

A privilege that generally protects confidential communications between a lawyer and client made to obtain or give legal advice. Its scope is defined by the law that applies.

A defense that defeats or reduces a claim even if the plaintiff’s allegations are true, such as the statute of limitations.

Materials prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial, which receive protection from discovery under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(3).

A court’s power to hear a case and make binding decisions.

A law setting the deadline for starting a lawsuit. Limitations periods vary by claim and jurisdiction.

A required good-faith attempt by the parties to resolve a dispute before asking the court to decide it.

The person or entity that starts a civil lawsuit by filing a complaint.