An autocracy is a political regime where a single individual - an autocrat - holds the power, qualified as personal and absolute power. The autocrat’s power covers all political, economic, social, and military power. In this political regime...
legal education and practice
automatic stay
Automatic stay is defined in two parts:
The “automatic” is in reference to the injunction that would prohibit most creditor collection activities, after the debtor has filed for bankruptcy. The “stay” begins at the moment the...aye
“Aye” is an affirmative response that could be used as an exclamation, a noun, or an adverb.
If used as an exclamation, "aye" has the same meaning as “yes,” which expresses assent to something. For example, one could use it as...Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws (abbreviated as LL.B., LLB, or rarely Ll.B.) is an undergraduate law degree. In most common law countries (with the exceptions of all Canadian provinces except Quebec, and the U.S.), the LL.B. program is generally entered...
back pay
Back pay refers to compensation for work that was either already performed or work that could have been performed if not for the interference of another party.
Workers’ compensation in the United States is governed by the...
background fact
Background facts are facts in a case that help an observer understand the origins of a specific legal issue or dispute. Background facts are not necessary to answer any question of law, it simply provides essential context. Additionally,...
bail bond
Bail bond is an agreement to pay the court if a criminal defendant fails to meet the terms of conditional release from custody. Many bail bonds are signed by the defendant and the defendant's sureties (e.g., a bondsman). Some bail bonds are...
bailee (custodian)
Bailee is a person who receives possession of a property or goods, usually pursuant to a contract of bailment. A bailee is responsible for the safe return of the property or goods to the owner (bailor) when the contract is fulfilled. Unlike a...
balancing test
A “balancing test” is defined as a subjective test with which a court weighs competing interests. For instance, a court would weigh the interest between an inmate's liberty interest and the government's interest in public safety, to decide...
balloon mortgage
A balloon mortgage is a mortgage where the payments are not large enough to pay off the entire mortgage during its amortization period. Thus, the borrower must make an extra-large payment at the end of the amortization period to fully pay off...