Sum certain is a clear amount agreed upon in a contract. A sum certain can be a purchase price or an amount for a loan. The main characteristic of a sum certain is the amount is absolutely clear without any room for different interpretations...
THE LEGAL PROCESS
summary adjudication
Summary adjudication is a pre-trial procedural device that allows a court to determine the merits of a particular cause of action, an affirmative defense, a claim for damages, and/or an issue of duty. This procedural device can be brought by...
summary judgment
A summary judgment is a judgment entered by a court for one party and against another party without a full trial.
OverviewIn civil cases, either party may make a pre-trial motion for summary judgment.
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summation
In a legal trial, summation refers to the final, closing argument articulated by a litigant to a judge or jury concerning the merits of their side of a case. In contrast to an opening statement, in which a litigant may only preview what the...
summons
A summons is a form prepared by the plaintiff and issued by a court that informs the defendant that they are being sued or are required to appear in court. It may be served by a sheriff or other authorized person, such as the process server...
sunshine laws
Sunshine laws are regulations requiring public disclosure of government agency meetings and records. Sunshine laws require specific businesses and government agencies to maintain transparency and disclose their activities to the public. The...
superior court
Superior court most commonly refers to the trial-level courts of many states such as California, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. The name is often confused because usually there are courts above the superior courts even though...
supernumerary witness
A supernumerary witness is an extra witness that is not required; being beyond the requisite number of witnesses. In law, a supernumerary witness is one whose testimony is considered excessive or unnecessary for the resolution of a legal case...
supersedeas
Supersedeas (also termed “writ of supersedeas”) is Latin for “you shall desist.” It refers to a stay of the enforcement of a judgment pending appeal. Essentially, it is a writ or bond that suspends a judgment creditor’s power to levy...
superseding cause
See: intervening cause
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]