Law Terms To Know

1L/2L/3L: First-year law student, second-year law student, and third-year law student.

Black Letter Law: Generally accepted legal principles and rules of law.

Case Brief: The summary of a case, including the facts, issue, rule of law, and holding of the court.

CDO: The Career Development Office; located on the third floor of the law school.

Certiorari: A writ of order seeking judicial review of a lower court's decision issued by a higher court.

Clerkship: A law student or recent graduate who provides assistance to a judge by researching issues and writing orders or opinions.

De Novo: Latin for "from the new"; de novo review is where an appellate court considers issues of law for the first time, giving no deference to the decision of the lower court below. 

IRAC: Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion; the typical format for most law school exam answers.

Lexis Nexus/Westlaw: Online legal research websites. You will receive passwords and have free access to both during your law school career.

Median: The median grade in all CU law school courses is a B+.

Mock Trial: A competition during which students simulate lower court trials by questioning witnesses and making opening and closing statements in front of a judge and jury.

Moot Court: A competition during which students simulate appellate court hearings by preparing written briefs and participating in oral arguments in front of judges.

OCI: On-Campus Interviews; where employers come to the law school to interview students for open positions.

Order of the Coif: An honorary scholastic society for law school graduates who graduated in the top 10% of their law school class.

Outline: A 15-30 page summary of an entire course, prepared as study material and for use during open-book exams.

Per Curiam: Decision by an appellate court issued in the name of the court rather than by a specific judge.

SBA: Student Bar Association; the student government of the law school.

Socratic Method: A form of question-and-answer between a professor and student used to stimulate critical thinking and develop ideas. Typically consists of "cold-calling" of students in order to elicit the defense of a point of view.

ThAC/FAC: "Thursday/Friday Afternoon Club"; event sponsored by student groups where law students gather to celebrate camaraderie and relieve the stresses of law school with food and alcohol. Typically held every few weeks in the Café.