Ever since I saw that movie Legally Blonde, I have been implementing legal terminology into my daily life. Yes, I know it was a cheesy movie but I thought that scene was hilarious and using legal terms in regular conversation is a silent internal monologue I have in my own mind and it is quite entertaining.
There are the phrases in legal terminology that easily fit into conversational English, and there is law terminology that does not easily flow into plain English.
For example, the United States courts define adversary as an opponent, the defendant is the plaintiff’s adversary. However, my adversary at work its the jerk who keeps sealing my lunch out of the refrigerator. Another one of the common law terms I implement easily is bail. The US courts define bail as the security given or posted to ensure the future appearance of a defendant. But I might ask my husband to bail me out and pick up the kids from daycare as I am running late at work. And in the same sentiment for law terms, US courts define the word prohibit as to bar the prosecution of an action. But I have barred hockey on the television while we eat dinner. See what I am saying?
Then of course there are the law terms that really do not mesh with normal conversation but I use anyway, just for kicks. My favorite of those law terms is eminent domain. Eminent domain is defines by US courts as the power to take private property for public use by condemnation, i.e., the legal process by which real estate of a private owner is taken for public use without the owner’s consent, but upon the award and payment of just compensation. I use it when my son does not want to share his video games with the family. You bet I do. But my favorite of the legal terms I utilize is sequester.
Sequester is defined as to separate, set apart, hold aside for safekeeping or awaiting some determination. Jurors are sequestered when not permitted to return home until the case is closed. When my two kids have done something wrong, I sequester them so they can not get their stories straight. Good times with legal terms.