S: (n) articles of incorporation (a legal document that creates a corporation; it is filed with a state by the founders of a corporation and is governed by the laws of the state)
S: (n) futures contract (an agreement to buy or sell a specific amount of a commodity or financial instrument at a particular price on a stipulated future date; the contract can be sold before the settlement date)
S: (n) stock-index futures (a futures contract based on a stock index; a bet on the future price of the indexed group of stocks)
S: (n) option (the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited)
S: (n) naked option (a put or call option for which the seller or buyer has no underlying security position)
S: (n) covered option (a put or call option backed by the shares underlying the option)
S: (n) call option, call (the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date)
S: (n) put option, put (the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date)
S: (n) straddle (the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; consists of an equal number of put and call options)
S: (n) check, bank check, cheque (a written order directing a bank to pay money) "he paid all his bills by check"
S: (n) bad check, bad cheque (a check that is dishonored on presentation because of insufficient funds) "issuing a bad check is a form of larceny"
S: (n) kite (a bank check drawn on insufficient funds at another bank in order to take advantage of the float)
S: (n) kite (a bank check that has been fraudulently altered to increase its face value)
S: (n) counter check (a blank check provided by a bank for the convenience of customers who are making withdrawals)
S: (n) giro, giro cheque (a check given by the British government to someone who is unemployed; it can be cashed either at a bank or at the post office)
S: (n) certified check, certified cheque (a check containing certification that the person who issued the check has sufficient funds on deposit to cover payment)
S: (n) letters testamentary (a legal document from a probate court or court officer informing you of your appointment as executor of a will and empowering you to discharge those responsibilities)
S: (n) act, enactment (a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body)
S: (n) nullity (something that is null (especially an enactment that has no legal validity))
S: (n) decree, edict, fiat, order, rescript (a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge)) "a friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there"
S: (n) consent decree (an agreement between two parties that is sanctioned by the court; for example, a company might agree to stop certain questionable practices without admitting guilt)
S: (n) curfew (an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited)
S: (n) decree nisi (a decree issued on a first petition for divorce; becomes absolute at some later date)
S: (n) injunction, enjoining, enjoinment, cease and desist order ((law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity) "injunction were formerly obtained by writ but now by a judicial order"
S: (n) stay (a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted) "the Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court"
S: (n) stay of execution (an order whereby a judgment is precluded from being executed for a specific period of time)
S: (n) bull, papal bull (a formal proclamation issued by the pope (usually written in antiquated characters and sealed with a leaden bulla))
S: (n) fair-trade act (formerly a state law that protected manufacturers from price-cutting by allowing them to set minimum retail prices for their merchandise; eliminated by the United States Congress in 1975)
S: (n) Stamp Act (an act passed by the British Parliament in 1756 that raised revenue from the American Colonies by a duty in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercial documents; opposition by the Colonies resulted in the repeal of the act in 1766)
S: (n) enabling act, enabling clause (a provision in a law that confers on appropriate officials the power to implement or enforce the law)
S: (n) Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, FISA (an act passed by Congress in 1978 to establish procedures for requesting judicial authorization for foreign intelligence surveillance and to create the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; intended to increase United States counterintelligence; separate from ordinary law enforcement surveillance)
S: (n) Riot Act (a former English law requiring mobs to disperse after a magistrate reads the law to them)
S: (n) prohibition (a law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages) "in 1920 the 18th amendment to the Constitution established prohibition in the US"
S: (n) bill, measure (a statute in draft before it becomes law) "they held a public hearing on the bill"
S: (n) appropriation bill (a legislative act proposing to authorize the expenditure of public funds for a specified purpose)
S: (n) bill of attainder (a legislative act finding a person guilty of treason or felony without a trial) "bills of attainder are prohibited by the Constitution of the United States"
S: (n) bottle bill (a statute that would require merchants to reclaim used bottles)
S: (n) farm bill (a statute that would regulate farm production and prices)
S: (n) brief, legal brief (a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case)
S: (n) amicus curiae brief (a brief presented by someone interested in influencing the outcome of a lawsuit but who is not a party to it)
S: (n) will, testament (a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die)
S: (n) Old Testament (the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible)
S: (n) New Testament (the collection of books of the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline and other epistles, and Revelation; composed soon after Christ's death; the second half of the Christian Bible)
S: (n) living will (a document written by someone still legally capable requesting that he should be allowed to die if subsequently severely disabled or suffering terminal illness) "after he discovered he had AIDS he drew up a living will"
S: (n) deed, deed of conveyance, title (a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it) "he signed the deed"; "he kept the title to his car in the glove compartment"
S: (n) title deed (a legal document proving a person's right to property)
S: (n) muniments (deeds and other documentary evidence of title to land)
S: (n) assignment (the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another)
S: (n) trust deed, deed of trust (a written instrument legally conveying property to a trustee often used to secure an obligation such as a mortgage or promissory note)
S: (n) tax return, income tax return, return (document giving the tax collector information about the taxpayer's tax liability) "his gross income was enough that he had to file a tax return"
S: (n) amended return (a tax return that corrects the information in an earlier return)
S: (n) majority opinion (the opinion joined by a majority of the court (generally known simply as `the opinion'))
S: (n) fatwah ((Islam) a legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamic scholar) "bin Laden issued three fatwahs calling upon Muslims to take up arms against the United States"
S: (n) obiter dictum, dictum (an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding)
S: (n) court order (a writ issued by a court of law requiring a person to do something or to refrain from doing something)
S: (n) divestiture (an order to an offending party to rid itself of property; it has the purpose of depriving the defendant of the gains of wrongful behavior) "the court found divestiture to be necessary in preventing a monopoly"
S: (n) execution, writ of execution (a routine court order that attempts to enforce the judgment that has been granted to a plaintiff by authorizing a sheriff to carry it out)
S: (n) gag order (a court order restricting information or comment by the participants involved in a lawsuit) "imposing a gag order on members of the press violates the First Amendment"
S: (n) garnishment (a court order to an employer to withhold all or part of an employee's wages and to send the money to the court or to the person who won a lawsuit against the employee)
S: (n) warrant (a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts)
S: (n) search warrant (a warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to search for objects or people involved in the commission of a crime and to produce them in court; the warrant describes the locations where the officials may search)
S: (n) bench warrant, arrest warrant (a warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to apprehend an offender and bring that person to court)
S: (n) pickup (a warrant to take someone into custody) "put out a pickup on that man"
S: (n) cachet, lettre de cachet (a warrant formerly issued by a French king who could warrant imprisonment or death in a signed letter under his seal)
S: (n) reprieve (a warrant granting postponement (usually to postpone the execution of the death sentence))
S: (n) commutation (a warrant substituting a lesser punishment for a greater one)
S: (n) pardon, amnesty (a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense)
S: (n) assize (an ancient writ issued by a court of assize to the sheriff for the recovery of property)
S: (n) certiorari, writ of certiorari (a common law writ issued by a superior court to one of inferior jurisdiction demanding the record of a particular case)
S: (n) venire facias (a judicial writ ordering a sheriff to summon people for jury duty)
S: (n) mandamus, writ of mandamus (an extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion; used only when all other judicial remedies fail)
S: (n) attachment (a writ authorizing the seizure of property that may be needed for the payment of a judgment in a judicial proceeding)
S: (n) fieri facias (a writ ordering a levy on the belongings of a debtor to satisfy the debt)
S: (n) scire facias (a judicial writ based on some record and requiring the party against whom it is brought to show cause why the record should not be enforced or annulled)
S: (n) writ of error (a judicial writ from an appellate court ordering the court of record to produce the records of trial)
S: (n) writ of prohibition (a judicial writ from a higher court ordering a lower court not to exercise jurisdiction in a particular case)
S: (n) writ of right (a writ ordering that land be restored to its rightful owner)
S: (n) summons, process (a writ issued by authority of law; usually compels the defendant's attendance in a civil suit; failure to appear results in a default judgment against the defendant)
S: (n) citation (a summons that commands the appearance of a party at a proceeding)
S: (n) monition, process of monition (a summons issued after the filing of a libel or claim directing all parties concerned to show cause why the judgment asked for should not be granted)
S: (n) ticket (a summons issued to an offender (especially to someone who violates a traffic regulation))
S: (n) subpoena, subpoena ad testificandum (a writ issued by court authority to compel the attendance of a witness at a judicial proceeding; disobedience may be punishable as a contempt of court)
S: (n) subpoena duces tecum (a writ issued by a court at the request of one of the parties to a suit; it requires a witness to bring to court or to a deposition any relevant documents under the witness's control)
S: (n) contract (a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law)
S: (n) adhesion contract, contract of adhesion (a contract that heavily restricts one party while leaving the other free (as some standard form printed contracts); implies inequality in bargaining power)
S: (n) aleatory contract (a contract whose performance by one party depends on the occurrence of an uncertain contingent event (but if it is contingent on the outcome of a wager it is not enforceable))
S: (n) bilateral contract (a contract involving mutual promises (each party is both promisor and promisee))
S: (n) charter (a contract to hire or lease transportation)
S: (n) conditional contract (a contract whose performance depends on a fact or event that affects legal relations)
S: (n) cost-plus contract (a contract in which the contractor is paid his total cost plus a stated percentage of profit)
S: (n) gambling contract (a contract whose performance by one party is contingent on the outcome of a bet; unenforceable by statute in most jurisdictions)
S: (n) lease (a contract granting use or occupation of property during a specified time for a specified payment)
S: (n) severable contract (a contract which, in the event of a breach by one of the parties, can be considered as several independent agreements expressed in a single instrument)
S: (n) subcontract (a contract assigning to another party some obligations of a prior contract)
S: (n) partnership (a contract between two or more persons who agree to pool talent and money and share profits or losses)
S: (n) SALT I (the first treaty between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics resulting from the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)
S: (n) SALT II (the second treaty between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics resulting from the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)
S: (n) escrow (a written agreement (or property or money) delivered to a third party or put in trust by one party to a contract to be returned after fulfillment of some condition)
S: (n) Articles of Confederation (a written agreement ratified in 1781 by the thirteen original states; it provided a legal symbol of their union by giving the central government no coercive power over the states or their citizens)
S: (n) impeachment (a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office)
S: (n) arraignment (a legal document calling someone to court to answer an indictment)
S: (n) security, certificate (a formal declaration that documents a fact of relevance to finance and investment; the holder has a right to receive interest or dividends) "he held several valuable securities"
S: (n) mortgage-backed security (a security created when a group of mortgages are gathered together and bonds are sold to other institutions or the public; investors receive a portion of the interest payments on the mortgages as well as the principal payments; usually guaranteed by the government)
S: (n) registered security (a security whose owner's name is recorded on the books of the issuer (or issuer's agent))
S: (n) registered bond (a bond whose owner is recorded on the books of the issuer; can be transferred to another owner only when endorsed by the registered owner)
S: (n) scrip (a certificate whose value is recognized by the payer and payee; scrip is not currency but may be convertible into currency)
S: (n) stock certificate, stock (a certificate documenting the shareholder's ownership in the corporation) "the value of his stocks doubled during the past year"
S: (n) share (any of the equal portions into which the capital stock of a corporation is divided and ownership of which is evidenced by a stock certificate) "he bought 100 shares of IBM at the market price"
S: (n) bond, bond certificate (a certificate of debt (usually interest-bearing or discounted) that is issued by a government or corporation in order to raise money; the issuer is required to pay a fixed sum annually until maturity and then a fixed sum to repay the principal)
S: (n) bond issue (bonds sold by a corporation or government agency at a particular time and identifiable by date of maturity)
S: (n) convertible bond (a bond that can be converted to other securities under certain conditions)
S: (n) corporate bond (a bond issued by a corporation; carries no claim to ownership and pays no dividends but payments to bondholders have priority over payments to stockholders) "a corporate bond is a safer investment than common stock in the same company"
S: (n) coupon bond, bearer bond (a bond issued with detachable coupons that must be presented to the issuer for interest payments)
S: (n) government bond (a bond that is an IOU of the United States Treasury; considered the safest security in the investment world)
S: (n) savings bond (non-negotiable government bond; cannot be bought and sold once the original purchase is made)
S: (n) Treasury, Treasury obligations (negotiable debt obligations of the United States government which guarantees that interest and principal payments will be paid on time)
S: (n) Treasury bill, T-bill (a short-term obligation that is not interest-bearing (it is purchased at a discount); can be traded on a discount basis for 91 days)
S: (n) Treasury note (securities with maturities of 1 to 10 years; sold for cash or in exchange for maturing issues or at auction)
S: (n) junk bond, high-yield bond (a (speculative) bond with a credit rating of BB or lower; issued for leveraged buyouts and other takeovers by companies with questionable credit)
S: (n) noncallable bond (a bond containing a provision that the holder cannot redeem the security before a specific date (usually at maturity))
S: (n) performance bond, surety bond (a bond given to protect the recipient against loss in case the terms of a contract are not filled; a surety company assumes liability for nonperformance)
S: (n) post-obit bond (a bond made by a reversioner to secure a loan; payable out of his reversion)
S: (n) registered bond (a bond whose owner is recorded on the books of the issuer; can be transferred to another owner only when endorsed by the registered owner)
S: (n) revenue bond (a bond issued by an agency that is commissioned to finance public works; revenue from the public property is used to pay off the bond)
S: (n) unsecured bond, debenture, debenture bond (the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future)
S: (n) zero coupon bond, zero-coupon bond (a bond that is issued at a deep discount from its value at maturity and pays no interest during the life of the bond; the commonest form of zero-coupon security)
S: (n) Premium Bond (a government bond that bears no interest or capital gains but enters the holder into lotteries)
S: (n) zero coupon bond, zero-coupon bond (a bond that is issued at a deep discount from its value at maturity and pays no interest during the life of the bond; the commonest form of zero-coupon security)
S: (n) convertible, convertible security (a corporate security (usually bonds or preferred stock) that can be exchanged for another form of security (usually common stock))