All Legal Terms by letter L

Labor Dispute :- A dispute between labor, or the work force of a company, and management, regarding the conditions of the workplace or pay.


Laches :- Laches is a defense to a claim available when the claimant has been unreasonably dilatory in pursuing the claim or in protecting his or her rights. The delay ordinarily must be enough that the defending party is prejudiced.

Landlord :- Ordinarily, this is the person to whom rent is due. The landlord owns the underlying real property and grants a leasehold interest to the tenant.


Landmark Decision :- A court ruling, from a higher court, that makes a noted and distinct from prior rulings on the same issue. Courts are sometimes called upon to modernize their thinking and this occurs through decisions that mark the path.


Lanham Act :- This is the Federal trademark law that provides for a national system of trademark registration intended to protect the owner of a trademark against the use of similar marks where confusion could result.

Lapse :- To lose a right by virtue of the passage of time. An option will expire at at certain date, for example. Because of the lapse, certain other rights arise in other persons.
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Larceny :- Taking the property of another with the intent to deprive them of the property. This is stealing.

Latent Defect :- A defect that is present but is not apparent. This is a concept common in product liability cases, as well as property warranty cases.


Law Review :- Every major law school publishes a periodical, usually quarterly, known as a law review. Scholarly articles appear on current legal issues. Top first year grade getters in law school often make up the editorial staff. It is a definite plus to have a law review staff position appear on your resume.


Lawsuit Financing :- Lawsuit financing occurs when someone, or some institution, lends money to the claimant, or plaintiff, in a pending civil personal injury case, using the future prospects of settlement as collateral. The litigation loan is usually for living expenses to tide the plaintiff over through the litigation process, which can be lengthy. Most lawsuit loans must be repaid regardless of the outcome of the case, but there are some that don't have to be paid back unless settlement funds are received. The lender will require detailed information about the case from the plaintiff's lawyer. Accordingly, the lawyer will need to be wary of ethical rules impacted.


Lawyer :- A person that is authorized or licensed to represent people in court. An attorney.

Lease :- The transfer of the right to possess real property for a period in exchange for rental paid to the landlord.


Ledger :- The ledger is a book of accounts, in which appear the final entries for individual transactions.


Legacy :- Cash, money, or other personal property that is transferred to another through the operation of a will.


Legal Funding :- Legal Funding is sometimes called advance funding, or litigation money. Simply put, Legal Funding is a means of financing the claimant while his or her claim goes through the legal system, which can be time consuming. The legal funding comes when someone purchases a portion of a future recovery or settlement. The portion is generally a defined amount, usually to cover living expenses pending settlement, rather than a percentage of the future settlement. In some legal funding schemes there is no payback of the pre-settlement money unless money is ultimately received in settlement of the case. The attorney involved should be mindful of ethical rules impacted by legal funding issues.


Legal :- Of, or pertaining to, the law. Lawful.


Legalese :- The language of the law, which is sometimes difficult to understand, and which makes use of archaic terms.


Legislative Immunity :- The shield provided to legislators who may injure persons during the course of their representation.



Lemon Laws :- The sale of new passenger cars is subject to what is called the Lemon Law. Each state will have its own version of the lemon law. The term "lemon" has long been used to refer to bad cars. Under the lemon laws, new cars that fail to conform to the warranty, or that cannot be repaired and made to conform to the warranty after reasonable attempts, may be returned to the seller for a refund. Lemon law disputes are common and an attorney skilled in the lemon law practice is a good thing to have.


Letters Testamentary :- A document from the probate court that authorizes a person to act on behalf of an estate.


Levy :- The act of imposing or charging a tax or fine.


Lewd :- Obscene, lustful, and lascivious behavior or quality.


Lex Loci :- This refers to the law of the place where a contract was entered into. This is the law that should apply to questions concerning formation of the contract.