Law & The Courts (Advanced) — C1 Essential Words

attorney /əˈtɜːrni/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: A lawyer, especially one who represents clients in court (American English).

Example: Her attorney spoke for her in court.

Another example: You have the right to an attorney.

Collocations: defense attorney · attorney for · hire an attorney

Synonyms: lawyer, counsel, advocate

Word family: attorneys (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Attorney is the US professional title ('attorney-at-law'); lawyer is the general word everyone uses. The Miranda warning promises one free if you cannot pay.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Attorney' on the office door signals courtroom seriousness.

Register: Formal — US legal essential.

prosecution /ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: The lawyers and process acting for the state to prove a person committed a crime; also the act of prosecuting.

Example: The prosecution presented its first witness.

Another example: The prosecution must prove guilt beyond doubt.

Collocations: the prosecution · prosecution case · prosecution witness

Synonyms: the state, the Crown (UK), accusation team

Antonyms: defense

Word family: prosecute (v) · prosecutor (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Prosecution (the side/process) vs prosecutor (the person). Its mirror in court is always 'the defense'.

🗣 In spoken American English: Trials are a duel of two narratives; the prosecution must go first and prove more.

Register: Formal — courtroom essential.

testimony /ˈtestɪməni/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: A formal statement given by a witness under oath in court, telling what they saw or know.

Example: Her testimony changed the trial.

Another example: The witness gave testimony for two hours.

Collocations: give testimony · testimony of · sworn testimony

Synonyms: statement, evidence (in words), account

Word family: testimonies (n pl) · testify (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Testimony is spoken under oath; evidence is the wider family (objects, documents, testimony together). To testify is to give it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Trials turn on single sentences of it — remembered, sworn, cross-examined.

Register: Formal — courtroom core.

custody /ˈkʌstədi/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: The legal right or duty to care for a child, especially after divorce; also the state of being held by police.

Example: The mother received full custody of the children.

Another example: The suspect is in police custody.

Collocations: child custody · in custody · custody battle

Synonyms: care, guardianship, detention (police)

Antonyms: freedom

Word family: custodial (adj) · custodian (n — caretaker)

⚠ Common mistake: Two custodies: family court grants custody of children; police take suspects INTO custody.

🗣 In spoken American English: Divorce cases fight hardest over this word.

Register: Formal — legal essential.

plea /pliː/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: The defendant's formal answer in court — guilty or not guilty; also an urgent emotional request for help.

Example: He entered a plea of not guilty.

Another example: The charity made a plea for donations.

Collocations: plea of guilty · enter a plea · plea for help

Synonyms: answer (court), appeal, begging request

Word family: pleas (n pl) · plead (v)

⚠ Common mistake: One plea opens every trial (guilty / not guilty). A 'plea bargain' trades a guilty plea for a lighter charge — the engine of US courts.

🗣 In spoken American English: Outside court, the same word begs: a mother's plea, a charity's plea.

Register: Formal — courtroom essential.

oath /əʊθ/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: A formal promise, often made on a holy book or by law, to tell the truth or be loyal.

Example: Witnesses take an oath before testifying.

Another example: Doctors take an oath to do no harm.

Collocations: take an oath · under oath · oath of office

Synonyms: vow, pledge, sworn promise

Word family: oaths (n pl) · swear (v) · sworn (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Under oath, lying becomes the crime of perjury. Presidents and doctors take famous oaths; witnesses take binding ones.

🗣 In spoken American English: A raised hand and three words begin it: 'I swear…'

Register: Formal — legal and ceremonial.

convict /kənˈvɪkt/ verb C1 Law

Meaning: To decide officially in court that someone is guilty of a crime. (The noun 'a convict' names a prisoner.)

Example: The jury convicted him of theft.

Another example: He was convicted in 2021.

Collocations: convict someone of · be convicted · convicted of fraud

Synonyms: find guilty, sentence (the punishment step)

Antonyms: acquit, clear, free

Word family: conviction (n) · convict (n — prisoner, stress CON-vict)

⚠ Common mistake: Verb stress con-VICT; noun stress CON-vict (the prisoner). A conviction is the court's guilty decision.

🗣 In spoken American English: Headlines shorten lives to it: 'Convicted of…' follows names for years.

Register: Formal — courtroom core verb.

acquit /əˈkwɪt/ verb C1 Law

Meaning: To decide officially in court that someone is NOT guilty of a crime.

Example: The jury acquitted her after one hour.

Another example: He was acquitted of all charges.

Collocations: acquit someone of · be acquitted · acquitted by the jury

Synonyms: clear, free, exonerate

Antonyms: convict, condemn

Word family: acquittal (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Acquit of ALL charges is the full-freedom phrase. Its noun acquittal ends trials and begins new lives.

🗣 In spoken American English: The verdict the defense dreams of: 'not guilty' in legal dress.

Register: Formal — courtroom essential.

sue /suː/ verb C1 Law

Meaning: To make a legal claim against a person or company in court, usually asking for money because they harmed you.

Example: She sued the company for discrimination.

Another example: He plans to sue for damages.

Collocations: sue for · sue someone · threaten to sue

Synonyms: take to court, file a lawsuit, claim against

Word family: lawsuit (n) · suing (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Sue usually seeks money ('damages') in civil court — nobody goes to prison from being sued. The document is a lawsuit.

🗣 In spoken American English: America's reputation runs on it: 'See you in court' is the threat behind a million arguments.

Register: Formal — civil law essential.

clause /klɔːz/ noun C1 Law

Meaning: One separate part or condition in a legal document or contract; in grammar, a group of words with a subject and verb.

Example: Read clause 7 before signing.

Another example: The clause protects the buyer.

Collocations: clause in the contract · clause 7 · a clause states

Synonyms: section, provision, term

Word family: clauses (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Contracts are chains of clauses — the small print lives in them. Grammar stole the same word for sentence parts; both mean 'one unit of a larger text'.

🗣 In spoken American English: Lawyers earn their fees in the clauses nobody reads.

Register: Formal — contracts essential.