Latin Legalese Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of these Essential Latin Phrases!
Written by Susanna Henke
Last updated · 10 min play time
Do you speak Latin legalese? If you can ace this quiz, you just might be able to fake your way through law school!
Quiz written by
Susanna Henke: Latin Legalese Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 424 Plays · 2 Comments
Question 1
In which legal context is "mens rea" required?
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ACourtroom behavior
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BContract negotiations
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CCriminal case
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DJury selection
Criminal case
Mens Rea (menz ray-ah), Latin for "guilty mind," is an essential component of many crimes. To prove culpability, the prosecution must establish that the defendant was aware that their conduct was illegal. As the eminently quotable Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once put it, “even a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked.”
Question 2
In the courtroom, a defendant exclaims "mea culpa!" - what have they done?
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AAccused another
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BConfessed
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CClaimed innocence
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DAsked to use the restroom
Confessed
Latin for "my fault," mea culpa (mey-uh kuhl-puh) is an admission of culpability.
Question 3
What is the English translation of the Latin term "in loco parentis"?
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ATogether with a Parent
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BA Parenthetical Comment
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CIn Place of a Parent
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DAn Incompetent Parent
In Place of a Parent
In loco parentis (in loh-coh par-ent-iss) refers to a person or institution that stands in place of a parent and thus has certain legal responsibilities that the absent parent would otherwise have. For example, a foster parent, custodial agency or boarding school might stand in loco parentis.
Question 4
Someone who appears before the court "pro se" is doing what?
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ATestifying for the prosecution
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BRepresenting themselves
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CTestifying for the defense
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DRepresenting a client
Representing themselves
A Latin phrase meaning "for oneself," pro se (proh say) describes a party who is representing themselves without a lawyer. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to legal representation, the Supreme Court has ruled that the exercise of that right is not mandatory. Nonetheless, a court will not approve a defendant's waiver of the right to counsel unless it determines that the waiver is knowing, voluntary, and intelligent, which depends on "a range of case-specific factors, including the defendant's education or sophistication, the complex or easily grasped nature of the charge, and the stage of the proceeding."
Question 5
What is the English translation of the Latin term "ex parte"?
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AFrom a Previous Party
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BFrom One Party
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CDivided Parties
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DFrom an Impartial Party
From One Party
Ex parte (Ehks PAR-tay) refers to improper contact between a lawyer and the other party without that party's attorney present, or between the judge and either party or either lawyer without the other party/lawyer present. Ex parte contact is a serious legal ethics violation, but is permitted in urgent situations such a party requesting a temporary restraining order in a domestic violence case.
Question 6
If someone filing for bankruptcy owes you money, what does the doctrine of "pari passu" tell you to do?
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AAccept that the window for repayment has closed.
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BProvide evidence of a contract.
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CGet in line!
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DThrow a pity party.
Get in line!
Latin for "with equal step," pari passu is applied in cases where there are multiple claimants, such as a bankruptcy. The principle specifies that assets should be divided equally among the claimants.
Question 7
Which modern idiom is equivalent to the Latin phrase "quid pro quo"?
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AThe ball is in your court
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BYou scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
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CBest of both worlds
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DKill two birds with one stone
You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
Latin for "something for something," quid pro quo refers to an exchange of exchange of acts or things of approximately equal value. For example, it's quid pro quo sexual harassment when an employer tells an employee they'll get a raise IF they provide sexual favors.
Question 8
What is brought before the court when a writ of "habeas corpus" is filed?
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AA jury of peers
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BProof that the victim of a crime is deceased
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CThe prisoner
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DA marching band
The prisoner
Latin for "that you have the body," habeas corpus (hay-bee-us kor-pus) is used to challenge the state's right to detain or imprison someone. The doctrine dates back to the Magna Carta (1215), which stipulates that "No man shall be arrested or imprisoned...except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land."
Question 9
What is the translation of the contract law doctrine of "caveat emptor"?
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ABuyer Pays
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BBuyer Beware
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CImpulse Buyer
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DBuyer's Remorse
Buyer Beware
Caveat emptor is used in contract law to indicate situations where the buyer has the duty to inspect property before purchasing it.
Question 10
When the court hears a case "de novo," what is it doing?
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AAdjudicating a case without a jury
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BAdjudicating an issue in a case for the first time
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CAdjudicating a previously tried case as if it were the first time
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DAdjudicating a case without allowing the accused to present a defense
Adjudicating a previously tried case as if it were the first time
Latin for "anew," de novo (day-noh-voh) is used to describe a court that is deciding a case without regard to a lower court's findings — most commonly, a case being heard on appeal.
Question 11
To which of these legal system situations would the term "pro bono" apply?
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AA legal issue that is resolved once and for all
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BA decision that increases the wealth of the claimant
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CA lawyer taking on a case without compensation
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DThe good will expected of all who come before the court
A lawyer taking on a case without compensation
Pro bono is derived from the Latin term <i>pro bono publico</i>, which translates to "for the public good". A law student or attorney is working pro bono when they take on a case without pay. Many state bar associations require attorneys to perform some amount of pro bono work each year.
Question 12
What is the English translation of the Latin term "de facto"?
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AAccording to the Court
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BAccording to Factors
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CAccording to Fact
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DAccording to Law
According to Fact
De facto is used to describe a situation or entity that is legally recognized even though it is not created pursuant to a law (such as "de facto segregation" in schools) or an action taken without express legal authority (such as a corporation that operates as such but did not file its paperwork properly).
Question 13
"Res judicata" is the fundamental principle that a case that's been decided can't be retried by the same parties . . . but there's an exception. Which of these is true?
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AThe trial court can agree to reopen the case, at the request of a legitimate heir to one of the original parties
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BA superior court can agree to decide the case again, at the losing party's request
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CThe trial court can agree to reopen the case if a defendant is convicted for violating a law that is subsequently decriminalized
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DThe Supreme Court can decide to retry any case at its sole discretion
A superior court can agree to decide the case again, at the losing party's request
Also known as estoppel, res judicata ("a matter that has been decided") does not bar a losing party from appealing to a superior court to review the lower court's decision.
Question 14
If a judge says that the doctrine of "stare decisis" applies, what will the court do with your claim?
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AThrow it out as it's already been decided
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BRead the stars for guidance
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CConsider previous cases similar to yours
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DConduct a bench trial (without a jury)
Consider previous cases similar to yours
Latin for "to stand by things decided," stare decisis (stah-ry dee-sigh-sis) is the fundamental legal principle behind the doctrine of precedent — the rule that judges should apply the same reasoning as previous cases when presented with a similar issue.
Question 15
What is the meaning of "amicus curiae" in a legal case?
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AAn outcome favorable to the plaintiff
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BA petition for a later trial date
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CA third party with strong interest in the case
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DA peaceful resolution to a high conflict case
A third party with strong interest in the case
Latin for "friend of the court," an amicus curiae (Ah-MEEK-us K-YUR-ee-ay) is someone permitted to submit a persuasive brief to the court for a matter in which they have a strong interest even though they are not a party to the action. Public interest groups like the ACLU and NAACP are frequent amicus curiae.
Question 16
What is the English translation of the Latin term "prima facie"?
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AA First Case
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BThe Primary Fact
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CAt First Sight
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DAn Easy Case
At First Sight
Prima facie (pree-mah-fey-shah) refers to evidence that is deemed adequate to support a claim, unless the other provides exculpatory evidence of its own. For example, if the prosecution submits a notebook in which the defendant has written hateful things about the victim, that piece of evidence might be deemed prima facie evidence of intent to harm the victim.
Question 17
What type of legal doctrine is "res ipsa loquitur"?
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AA prohibition
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BA conclusion
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CA presumption
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DA responsibility
A presumption
Res ipsa loquitur (ray-sip-sah loh-quit-er) is Latin for "the thing speaks for itself". It refers to a legal presumption that a defendant acted negligently even if there is no direct evidence of wrongdoing or omission. For example, a patient complains of stomach pain after an operation and an x-ray shows that a surgical tool was left inside her body — although no one witnessed the surgical team sew her up with a tool inside, it's not a stretch to presume someone acted negligently.
Question 18
What is the English translation of the Latin term "bona fide"?
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AGood Dog
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BWell Spoken
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CGood Faith
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DTo the Bone
Good Faith
Bona fide (BOH-nuh-fied) is used to describe a party who was genuinely unaware of any fraudulent aspect of a transaction or document, such as a forged property title.
Question 19
What is an "ex post facto" law?
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AEstablished
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BUnreasonable
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CUniversal
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DUnconstitutional
Unconstitutional
Ex post facto ("from a thing done afterward") refers to laws that apply retroactively, thus criminalizing acts that were performed when legally permissible. Article 1 of the Constitution prohibits ex post facto laws on both the federal and state levels.
Question 20
What does it mean if a judge calls a party's claim "de minimis"?
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AThat it's dangerous
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BThat it's juvenile
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CThat it's trifling
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DThat it's absurd
That it's trifling
De minimis (dee minn-uh-miss) comes from the Latin phrase <i>de minimis non curat lex</i> ("The law does not concern itself with trifles"). The concept is applied in various contexts, such as a claim of copyright infringement where the infringer's use was minimal. Queen Christina of Sweden (r. 1633–1654) favored a slightly haughtier version of this principle: <i>aquila non capit muscās</i> ("the eagle does not catch flies").
Comments (2)
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Cool! I’m amazed by how much Latin I’ve learned. I especially likke Quid Pro Quo
I couldn't concentrate! My other half kept bothering me!!!