certiorari
Higher court summons
Certiorari is a legal writ by which a higher court orders a lower court to send up the record of a case for review.
In American law, it's the primary mechanism for getting a case before the Supreme Court: The Court granted certiorari.
Lawyers shorten it to cert: They're going to petition for cert.
The Court denies most such petitions, choosing only cases it considers significant.
Writ ordering statutory duty
- habeas corpusWrit challenging lawful custody
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
- subpoenaWrit requiring testimony
interlocutory · fiat · rescript · original jurisdiction · assize · remand
Short in duration
- standingPosition, physical or social
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- docketCourt's case schedule
- pleadingsFormal litigation documents
motion · litigant · solicitor general · respondent · petitioner · filing · grant
Formal review request
- reversalComplete change of direction
- remandReturn for further proceedings
- overturnReverse or invalidate
- affirmDeclare to be true
appellant · appellee · error correction · lower court · circuit court · final judgment · cross-appeal · court of appeals
Nation's top tribunal
- justicesAdministrators of law
- oral argumentSpoken case presentation
- concurring opinionSeparate agreement with verdict
- dissenting opinionFormal judicial disagreement
Prior authoritative example
- judicial restraintCourts avoiding activist rulings
- judicial activismBroad court interpretation philosophy
- originalismInterpreting by founding-era meaning
- justiciabilitySuitability for court decision
mandamus
Writ ordering statutory duty
- habeas corpusWrit challenging lawful custody
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
subpoena · interlocutory · fiat · rescript · original jurisdiction · assize · remand
brief
Short in duration
- standingPosition, physical or social
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- docketCourt's case schedule
pleadings · motion · litigant · solicitor general · respondent · petitioner · filing · grant
appeal
Formal review request
- reversalComplete change of direction
- remandReturn for further proceedings
- overturnReverse or invalidate
affirm · appellant · appellee · error correction · lower court · circuit court · final judgment · cross-appeal · court of appeals · federal courts
Supreme Court
Nation's top tribunal
- justicesAdministrators of law
- oral argumentSpoken case presentation
- concurring opinionSeparate agreement with verdict
dissenting opinion · majority opinion · judicial review · SCOTUS · chief justice
precedent
Prior authoritative example
- judicial restraintCourts avoiding activist rulings
- judicial activismBroad court interpretation philosophy
- originalismInterpreting by founding-era meaning
certainty, certificate, certify, certified, certification, uncertified, certifiable, cert, certifier