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Vocabulary Bank: Legal English

60 words and 52 real workplace phrases for this specialization, organized by topic. Tap the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation. Use this as a reference alongside your lessons — it's not graded.

Legal BasicsContracts & Business LawLitigation & CourtsProfessional Self-PresentationMeeting with a ClientNegotiating & ContractsIn the CourtroomAdvanced Legal TalkTalking About Your Career

Legal Basics

Everyday legal vocabulary.

lawyer / attorney
a person qualified to practice law
abogado/a
client
a person who receives legal services
cliente
contract
a written agreement between two parties
contrato
evidence
information used to prove or disprove a claim
evidencia
testimony
a formal statement given as proof in court
testimonio
witness
a person who gives evidence in a legal case
testigo
verdict
the official decision made by a judge or jury
veredicto
appeal
a request to have a court decision reviewed
apelación
judge
an official who presides over a court
juez/a
jury
a group of citizens who decide a verdict
jurado
plaintiff
the person who brings a case to court
demandante
defendant
the person or party being sued or accused
demandado/a
lawsuit
a legal action brought to a court
demanda
settlement
an agreement that ends a dispute
acuerdo (arreglo legal)
hearing
a formal legal proceeding before a judge
audiencia
subpoena
a legal order to appear in court or provide evidence
citación judicial
affidavit
a written statement made under oath
declaración jurada
statute
a written law passed by a legislature
estatuto, ley
liability
legal responsibility for damage or a debt
responsabilidad legal
damages
money awarded to compensate for harm
daños y perjuicios

Contracts & Business Law

Agreements and corporate legal matters.

breach of contract
failing to fulfill the terms of an agreement
incumplimiento de contrato
clause
a specific section of a legal document
cláusula
negotiate
to discuss terms to reach an agreement
negociar
draft an agreement
to write the text of a legal agreement
redactar un acuerdo
terms and conditions
the rules governing an agreement
términos y condiciones
intellectual property
legal rights over creations like inventions or writing
propiedad intelectual
trademark
a symbol or name legally registered for a business
marca registrada
patent
a legal right protecting an invention
patente
copyright
legal protection for original creative works
derechos de autor
non-disclosure agreement
a contract to keep information confidential
acuerdo de confidencialidad
arbitration
a way to resolve disputes outside of court
arbitraje
mediation
a process to resolve disputes with a neutral party
mediación
jurisdiction
the official authority to make legal decisions
jurisdicción
deposition
sworn testimony given outside of court
declaración fuera de corte
indemnity
protection against legal responsibility for damages
indemnización
waiver
the voluntary giving up of a legal right
renuncia (de un derecho)
compliance
following required laws and regulations
cumplimiento normativo
due diligence
careful investigation before a legal or business decision
diligencia debida
merger agreement
a contract governing the combination of two companies
acuerdo de fusión
shareholder agreement
a contract among a company's shareholders
acuerdo de accionistas

Litigation & Courts

Trials, appeals, and advanced legal terms.

precedent
a legal decision used as an example for future cases
precedente legal
injunction
a court order requiring or preventing an action
medida cautelar
litigation
the process of taking legal action in court
litigio
class action
a lawsuit brought by a group with a shared claim
demanda colectiva
appellate court
a court that reviews decisions from lower courts
tribunal de apelaciones
statute of limitations
the legal time limit to bring a claim
prescripción legal
motion to dismiss
a request to end a case before trial
moción de desestimación
cross-examination
questioning a witness presented by the opposing side
contrainterrogatorio
burden of proof
the obligation to prove one's claim
carga de la prueba
plea bargain
an agreement to plead guilty for a lighter sentence
acuerdo de culpabilidad

Professional Self-Presentation

Vocabulary for interviews, self-presentation, and professional advocacy.

expertise
specialized knowledge and skill in a particular area
experiencia especializada, pericia
track record
a history of past achievements and performance
historial de logros
responsibilities
the duties and tasks someone is expected to handle
responsabilidades
qualifications
the skills, degrees, or experience that make someone suitable for a role
calificaciones, requisitos
strengths
the skills or qualities someone is particularly good at
fortalezas
professional growth
the ongoing development of one's skills and career
crecimiento profesional
career goals
the specific things someone wants to achieve professionally
metas profesionales
achievement
something successfully accomplished
logro
contribution
something someone adds or gives to a project or team
contribución, aporte
credentials
official qualifications or proof of expertise
credenciales

Meeting with a Client

Everyday phrases in legal consultations.

file a complaint
"She filed a complaint against her former employer."
presentar una demanda
take someone to court
"They decided to take the company to court."
llevar a alguien a juicio
reach a settlement
"Both sides reached a settlement out of court."
llegar a un acuerdo
go on record
"He wanted to go on record with his statement."
declarar oficialmente
press charges
"The victim decided to press charges."
presentar cargos
call a witness
"The lawyer called a new witness to testify."
llamar a un testigo
in accordance with the law
"The contract was written in accordance with the law."
conforme a la ley
bring a case
"They brought the case before a judge last month."
presentar un caso
review the evidence
"We'll review the evidence before the hearing."
revisar la evidencia
advise a client
"My job is to advise the client on their options."
asesorar a un cliente

Negotiating & Contracts

Expressions used in contract law.

build a case
"We're building a strong case based on the contract."
construir un caso
settle out of court
"Most disputes like this settle out of court."
llegar a un acuerdo fuera de corte
draft an agreement
"Our team will draft the agreement by Friday."
redactar un acuerdo
waive a right
"The client chose to waive her right to a jury trial."
renunciar a un derecho
enter into arbitration
"Both sides agreed to enter into arbitration."
entrar en arbitraje
hold someone liable
"The court held the company liable for the breach."
declarar a alguien responsable
file a motion
"We filed a motion to dismiss the case."
presentar una moción
come to terms
"The two parties finally came to terms this week."
llegar a un acuerdo
negotiate terms
"We're still negotiating the terms of the deal."
negociar términos
sign off on
"The client signed off on the final agreement."
aprobar, dar el visto bueno

In the Courtroom

Phrases used during hearings and trials.

call the court to order
"The bailiff called the court to order."
declarar abierta la sesión
state your case
"You may now state your case."
exponer su caso
object to a question
"The attorney objected to the question."
objetar una pregunta
enter a plea
"The defendant entered a plea of not guilty."
declararse (culpable/inocente)
present evidence
"The prosecution presented new evidence."
presentar evidencia
cross-examine a witness
"The defense will cross-examine the witness next."
contrainterrogar a un testigo
reach a verdict
"The jury reached a verdict after three hours."
llegar a un veredicto
sentence a defendant
"The judge will sentence the defendant next week."
sentenciar a un acusado
uphold a ruling
"The appellate court upheld the lower court's ruling."
confirmar un fallo
overturn a decision
"The Supreme Court overturned the previous decision."
revocar una decisión

Advanced Legal Talk

Expressions used in complex litigation.

set a precedent
"This ruling could set a precedent for future cases."
sentar un precedente
file for an injunction
"They filed for an injunction to stop the merger."
solicitar una medida cautelar
exhaust all appeals
"The defense exhausted all appeals before the ruling."
agotar todas las apelaciones
bring a class action
"Consumers brought a class action against the company."
presentar una demanda colectiva
cite a precedent
"The lawyer cited a precedent from a similar case."
citar un precedente
negotiate a plea
"The defense chose to negotiate a plea instead of a trial."
negociar una declaración de culpabilidad
establish the facts
"The investigation helped establish the facts of the case."
establecer los hechos
meet the burden of proof
"The prosecution must meet the burden of proof."
cumplir con la carga de la prueba
challenge a ruling
"The company plans to challenge the ruling."
impugnar un fallo
bring in expert testimony
"We're bringing in expert testimony for this case."
aportar testimonio experto

Talking About Your Career

Common expressions to describe your role, strengths, and goals.

I'm responsible for
"I'm responsible for case preparation and client counsel across the law department."
soy responsable de
My main strength is
"My main strength is problem-solving under pressure."
mi mayor fortaleza es
I specialize in
"I specialize in law."
me especializo en
What I bring to the table is
"What I bring to the table is years of hands-on experience."
lo que aporto es
I've had a lot of success with
"I've had a lot of success with cross-team projects."
he tenido mucho éxito con
One of my proudest achievements was
"One of my proudest achievements was leading that project to completion."
uno de mis logros más importantes fue
I'm passionate about
"I'm passionate about law."
me apasiona
I'd like to grow into
"I'd like to grow into a leadership role."
me gustaría crecer hacia
I stay up to date by
"I stay up to date by reading industry publications."
me mantengo actualizado/a
In my experience,
"In my experience, clear communication solves most problems."
en mi experiencia,
I work well under pressure
"I work well under pressure and tight deadlines."
trabajo bien bajo presión
I'm a quick learner
"I'm a quick learner and adapt easily to new systems."
aprendo rápido