Attorney Of Record
attorney who has appeared in court and/or signed pleadings or other forms on
behalf of a client; the lawyer remains the attorney of record until some other
attorney or the client substitutes for him/her, he/she is allowed by the court
to withdraw, or after the case is closed; sometimes lawyers find themselves
still on the record in cases (such as divorces) which they believe have long
since been completed
Attorney-client Privilege
requirement that an attorney may not reveal
communications, conversations and letters between himself/ herself and his/her
client, under the theory that a person should be able to speak freely and
honestly with his/her attorney without fear of future revelation
Attractive Nuisance Doctrine
legal doctrine which makes a person negligent for leaving a piece of equipment
or other condition on property which would be both attractive and dangerous to
curious children; these have included tractors, unguarded swimming pools, open
pits, and abandoned refrigerators
Audit
examination by a trained accountant of the financial records of a business or
governmental entity, including; noting improper or careless practices,
recommendations for improvements, and a balancing of the books.
Auditor
accountant who conducts an audit to verify the accuracy of the financial records
and accounting practices of a business or government
Authorities
1) previous decisions by courts of appeal which
provide legal guidance to a court on questions in a current lawsuit, which are
called "precedents;" legal briefs (written arguments) are often called "points
and authorities; thus, a lawyer "cites" the previously decided cases as
"authorities" for his/her legal positions 2) a common term for law enforcement,
as in "I'm going to call the authorities" (i.e. police)
Authority
permission, a right coupled with the power to do an act or order others to act
Authorize
to officially empower someone to act
Autopsy
post-mortem evaluation of a deceased body
Avulsion
the change in the border of two properties due to a sudden change in the natural
course of a stream or river, when the border is defined by the channel of the
waterway; the most famous American case is the Mississippi River's change which
put Vicksburg on the other side of the river