Probation lets a person serve a criminal sentence in the community instead of behind bars, under rules set by the court. Here is how it works and what happens if those rules are broken.

Venue decides which court location hears a case. It sounds technical, but it can shape cost, convenience and even the jury, so it matters to every party.

Courts in the United States rarely decide a case from scratch. They look to earlier rulings first. Here is a plain guide to legal precedent and the doctrine of stare decisis.

A tort is a civil wrong that causes harm and can lead to a lawsuit for compensation. Here is a plain guide to the main types of torts, what a plaintiff must prove and what remedies courts can order.

Before a court decides whether a lawsuit is right or wrong, it asks a more basic question: is this the right person to bring it? Here is a plain guide to the legal doctrine of standing.

Sometimes a trial stops before it reaches a valid verdict. Here is what a mistrial is, the most common reasons judges declare one, and what usually happens to the case afterward.

Many contracts quietly require disputes to go to arbitration instead of court. Here is a plain guide to how arbitration works, how it differs from a lawsuit and what rights you keep.

Habeas corpus is one of the oldest protections in American law, letting a person ask a court whether their detention is lawful. Here is a plain guide to how it works, who can use it and its limits.

Before a jury hears a single piece of evidence, the judge and lawyers question potential jurors in a process called voir dire. Here is how it works, what challenges are allowed and what to expect if you are called.

Ignoring a lawsuit does not make it go away. Here is a plain guide to default and default judgment, what they mean, what can follow and how people ask a court to undo them.

Amicus briefs let people and groups who are not parties to a case share arguments with a court. Here is what they are, who files them and why judges read them.

Hearsay is one of the most common words in a courtroom and one of the most misunderstood. Here is what it means, why it is usually kept out and the major exceptions that let it in.

The Constitution says no one can be put in jeopardy twice for the same offense. Here is what that protection covers, when it begins and the major exceptions that surprise most people.

A writ of mandamus is a court order that tells a public official or lower court to perform a duty the law already requires. Here is how it works in plain English.

An affidavit is a written statement made under oath. Court Magazine explains what it is, when it shows up in a case, and why truthfulness matters.

Summary judgment can end a lawsuit before a full trial. Court Magazine explains what it is, when parties ask for it, and what a plain reading of the standard means.

Before most cases reach a courtroom, both sides gather facts in a process called discovery. Here is a plain guide to how it works and why it matters.

A class action lets one or a few people sue on behalf of a larger group with similar claims. Here is a plain English guide to how class actions work, who is included and what happens when they settle.

Contempt of court is how a judge responds when someone disobeys a court order or disrupts the courtroom. Here is a plain English guide to what it means.

A motion is how a party asks a court to decide an issue or issue an order. Here is a plain English guide to what motions are and how they usually work.