Glossary

  • Judiciary Act of 1789

    A law that established the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system.

  • Judiciary Act of 1801

    Also called the “Midnight Judges Act,” it was an act passed in the final days of the Adams administration which reorganized the federal judiciary and was repealed by the Jefferson administration.

  • Jurisdiction

    The authority/power given by law to a court to try cases and rule on legal matters within a particular geographic area and/or over certain types of legal cases.

  • Jurisprudence

    The theory of law, a legal system.

  • Just Compensation

    Fair payment for work performed or damage incurred.

  • Justiciable

    meeting the qualifications to be decided by a court

  • Juvenile delinquency

    the habitual committing of criminal acts or offenses by a young person

  • Know Nothing Party

    a nativist political movement in the United States

  • Landmark

    A court case that is studied because it has historical and legal significance.

  • Lavish

    elaborate, extravagant, or luxurious