Litigation Abbreviations
71 abbreviations · part of Legal Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in civil litigation and dispute resolution: motions and remedies (TRO, MSJ, MTD), discovery devices (RFA, RFP, ROG), procedural rules, court e-filing systems, record citations used in briefs, common tort claims and arbitration institutions such as the AAA, JAMS and the ICC. Several have more than one meaning even within law; PI, for example, can mean preliminary injunction or personal injury, so the surrounding text matters. Entries are general information, not legal advice.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | American Arbitration Association | Nonprofit organization, founded in 1926 and based in New York, that administers arbitration and mediation under its own Commercial, Construction, Employment and… |
| ADR | Alternative dispute resolution | Methods of resolving legal disputes outside a courtroom trial, chiefly negotiation, mediation and arbitration, along with hybrids such as early neutral evaluation. |
| AEO | Attorneys' eyes only | Highest confidentiality designation under a litigation protective order, limiting access to outside counsel and sometimes experts, while barring the opposing party's… |
| Aff. | Affidavit | Written statement of facts sworn before a notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths, used to support motions and other filings. |
| AOS | Affidavit of service | Sworn statement by a process server or other person describing how and when legal papers were delivered to a party. |
| Br. | Brief | Citation abbreviation for a written legal argument filed with a court, especially an appellate brief, as in "Appellant's Br. 14" or "Gov't Br. 22". |
| CMC | Case management conference | Meeting between the judge and counsel, usually early in a civil case, to set deadlines for amending pleadings, discovery, motions, ADR and trial and to address issues… |
| COA | Cause of action | Set of facts that gives a person the right to sue another and obtain relief, such as breach of contract, negligence or fraud, each with its own required elements. |
| Compl. | Complaint | Citation abbreviation for the pleading that starts a civil lawsuit, used in briefs and opinions to point to specific allegations, as in "Compl. ¶ 23". |
| CPLR | Civil Practice Law and Rules | New York statute governing civil procedure in the state's courts, covering jurisdiction, limitations periods, pleadings, motions, disclosure, trials, judgments and… |
| Decl. | Declaration | Unsworn written statement of facts signed under penalty of perjury, used instead of an affidavit to support motions in federal court and many state courts. |
| Def. | Defendant | Bluebook abbreviation for "defendant" in references to court documents, as in "Def.'s Answer ¶ 12" or "Defs.' Mem." for several defendants. |
| Dep. | Deposition | Out-of-court testimony of a witness given under oath and recorded by a court reporter, often on video, during discovery. |
| DJ | Declaratory judgment | Court judgment that declares the rights and legal relations of the parties without ordering anyone to act or awarding damages. |
| Dkt. | Docket | Abbreviation used in court filings and opinions to cite an entry on the court's docket by number, as in "Dkt. 45", meaning the 45th entry. |
| EBT | Examination before trial | New York term for a deposition: pretrial questioning of a party or witness under oath, recorded by a court reporter, during the disclosure phase of a lawsuit. |
| ECF | Electronic Case Files | Federal judiciary's electronic filing system, part of CM/ECF (Case Management/Electronic Case Files), through which attorneys file pleadings, motions and briefs and… |
| ENE | Early neutral evaluation | ADR process in which an experienced neutral, usually a lawyer with expertise in the subject, hears a confidential summary of each side's case early in the litigation… |
| ER | Excerpts of record | Ninth Circuit's version of an appendix: selected portions of the district court record, such as the notice of appeal, judgment, relevant orders and transcript pages… |
| ESI | Electronically stored information | Any information created, stored or used in digital form, including email, text messages, databases, documents, spreadsheets, social media posts, chat logs and metadata… |
| EUO | Examination under oath | Sworn questioning of an insured by the insurer's attorney, conducted under a policy condition requiring cooperation in the investigation of a claim. |
| FRAP | Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure | Practitioner shorthand for the rules governing appeals in the US courts of appeals, from the notice of appeal through briefing, appendices, oral argument and rehearing. |
| FRCP | Federal Rules of Civil Procedure | Practitioner shorthand for the rules governing civil cases in US district courts, covering pleadings, motions, joinder, class actions, discovery, trials and judgments. |
| FRE | Federal Rules of Evidence | Practitioner shorthand for the evidence rules applied in federal courts, covering relevance, character evidence, privileges, witness competency, expert opinion, hearsay… |
| ICC | International Chamber of Commerce | World business organization, founded in 1919 and based in Paris, that writes the Incoterms rules used in international sales contracts and runs one of the leading… |
| ICDR | International Centre for Dispute Resolution | International division of the American Arbitration Association, established in 1996, that administers cross-border arbitrations and mediations under the ICDR… |
| ICSID | International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes | World Bank Group institution in Washington, D.C., established under the 1965 ICSID Convention, that administers arbitrations between foreign investors and states under… |
| IIED | Intentional infliction of emotional distress | Tort claim for severe emotional distress caused by extreme and outrageous conduct that was intentional or reckless. |
| IME | Independent medical examination | Examination of a claimant by a physician chosen by the opposing party or insurer to evaluate injuries, causation, disability or need for treatment. |
| J.A. | Joint appendix | Collection of the key parts of the lower-court record, such as pleadings, orders, transcript excerpts and exhibits, filed in an appeal so judges can review them. |
| JAMS | JAMS (formerly Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services) | Private provider of mediation and arbitration services, founded in 1979 in California, whose neutrals are largely retired judges and experienced lawyers. |
| JMOL | Judgment as a matter of law | Judgment entered by the court because no reasonable jury could find for the opposing party on the evidence presented. |
| LCIA | London Court of International Arbitration | Arbitral institution based in London, with origins dating to 1892, that administers international commercial arbitrations under the LCIA Rules. |
| LOP | Letter of protection | Letter from a personal injury lawyer to a medical provider promising payment from any settlement or judgment, so an uninsured or underinsured client can receive… |
| MDL | Multidistrict litigation | Federal procedure for transferring civil cases filed in different districts that share common factual questions to one judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings, such… |
| MIL | Motion in limine | Pretrial motion asking the judge to rule in advance on whether particular evidence or argument may be presented to the jury, such as prior convictions, settlement talks… |
| MSA | Master Settlement Agreement | 1998 agreement between 46 states, the District of Columbia, five US territories and the largest tobacco companies settling state lawsuits to recover smoking-related… |
| MSC | Mandatory settlement conference | Court-ordered settlement conference held shortly before trial, in which a judge or appointed settlement officer meets with the parties and counsel to explore resolution. |
| MSJ | Motion for summary judgment | Request asking the court to decide a case, or particular claims, without a trial because there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the movant is entitled to… |
| MTD | Motion to dismiss | Motion asking the court to dismiss a complaint, in whole or in part, without reaching the facts, typically because it fails to state a legally valid claim or the court… |
| MVA | Motor vehicle accident | Older and still common term for a crash involving motor vehicles, used in emergency, insurance and police records. |
| NIED | Negligent infliction of emotional distress | Tort claim for emotional distress caused by another's negligence, allowed only in limited circumstances, such as when the plaintiff was in the zone of physical danger… |
| NOA | Notice of appeal | Short document filed in the trial court that starts an appeal by identifying the party appealing, the judgment or order appealed from and the court to which the appeal… |
| OC | Opposing counsel | The lawyer or law firm representing the other side in a lawsuit, negotiation or transaction. |
| ODR | Online dispute resolution | Use of internet platforms to resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation or adjudication without in-person hearings. |
| Opp'n | Opposition | Citation abbreviation for a brief opposing a motion, as in "Pl.'s Opp'n at 7", meaning page 7 of the plaintiff's opposition. |
| OSC | Order to show cause | Court order directing a party to appear and explain why the court should not take a particular action, such as granting relief, imposing sanctions, holding someone in… |
| PACER | Public Access to Court Electronic Records | Online service run by the federal judiciary that lets the public view and download docket sheets and filed documents from US district, bankruptcy and appellate courts. |
| Pet'r | Petitioner | Bluebook abbreviation for "petitioner", the party who files a petition, such as a petition for certiorari, habeas corpus or judicial review of an agency decision. |
| PI | Personal injury | Area of law covering claims for physical or psychological harm caused by someone else's negligence or intentional conduct, such as car crashes, falls, medical… |
| PJ | Personal jurisdiction | A court's power over a particular defendant, based on the defendant's connections with the state where the court sits, such as residence, incorporation, business… |
| Pl. | Plaintiff | Bluebook abbreviation for "plaintiff" in references to court documents, as in "Pl.'s Mot. |
| PO | Protective order | Court order in civil litigation limiting how discovery material may be used or disclosed, or shielding a party from burdensome or improper discovery. |
| POS | Proof of service | Document filed with the court showing that a summons, complaint, motion or other paper was delivered to a party, stating who served it and when, where and how. |
| PSC | Plaintiffs' steering committee | Group of plaintiffs' lawyers appointed by the judge in a multidistrict litigation or other consolidated proceeding to manage discovery, motions, bellwether trials and… |
| PTC | Pretrial conference | Meeting between the judge and counsel before trial to narrow the issues, address exhibits and witness lists, hear motions in limine and settle logistics such as jury… |
| R&R | Report and recommendation | Proposed ruling prepared by a federal magistrate judge on a dispositive matter, such as a motion to dismiss, summary judgment or a habeas petition, which a district… |
| Resp't | Respondent | Bluebook abbreviation for "respondent", the party opposing a petition, appeal or motion, as in "Resp't's Br. 18". |
| RFA | Request for admission | Written discovery request asking another party to admit the truth of specific facts, the application of law to facts or the genuineness of documents. |
| RFP | Request for production | Discovery request asking another party to produce documents, electronically stored information or tangible things in its possession, custody or control, or to permit… |
| ROG | Interrogatory | Written question that one party serves on another, which must be answered in writing and under oath. |
| S&C | Summons and complaint | The initial papers that start a civil lawsuit: the summons notifies the defendant that it has been sued and must respond by a deadline, and the complaint states the… |
| SIAC | Singapore International Arbitration Centre | Arbitral institution established in 1991 that has become one of the busiest international arbitration centers in the world, especially for disputes involving Asian… |
| SJ | Summary judgment | Judgment entered without a trial when the court finds no genuine dispute of material fact on a claim or defense. |
| SLAPP | Strategic lawsuit against public participation | Lawsuit brought mainly to silence or intimidate critics, such as journalists, activists or online reviewers, by burdening them with legal costs, typically through… |
| SMJ | Subject-matter jurisdiction | A court's authority to hear a particular type of case. |
| SOL | Statute of limitations | Law setting the deadline for filing a lawsuit or bringing criminal charges, measured from when the claim accrues or the offense occurs. |
| TAR | Technology-assisted review | Document review method in which machine-learning software, trained on attorneys' coding decisions for sample documents, ranks or classifies large collections for… |
| Tr. | Transcript | Citation abbreviation for a court reporter's verbatim transcript of a hearing or trial, followed by page and line numbers, as in "Tr. 112:4-9". |
| TRO | Temporary restraining order | Emergency court order that preserves the status quo for a short time, sometimes before the other side can be heard, to prevent immediate and irreparable harm. |
| UNCITRAL | United Nations Commission on International Trade Law | UN body established in 1966 that drafts model laws and rules to harmonize international trade law. |