Legal Terminology and Usage: For Court Reporters and Paralegals

Schools using this book are entitled to a free teacher's manual. The 2026 edition has been updated to encompass contemporary concepts such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and digital signatures in the areas of law.

If learning legal terminology were as simple as memorizing words, all you would need is a dictionary. But merely memorizing definitions requires inordinate time and hard work, and in the end, still teaches you little about comprehending and retaining this new language. If you understand the nature of the legal terms and how they equate to ordinary legal situations, you will learn the terminology in a faster and more engaging way, and most importantly, retain that knowledge far longer. Such learning requires the following strategies: charts comparing words whenever two terms have confusing similarities, organizing words under common legal concepts, and including interesting supplementary material (such as how attorneys evaluate an automobile case to determine how much it is worth, or who gets to keep the wedding ring if the marriage is called off). Cumulatively, these learning strategies make legal terminology come alive. The purpose of learning legal terms is not for you to memorize the words for a test and forget them two days later. Instead, it is the ability to study the words in proper context so that you have a deep and sustainable understanding of the terms five years later. The goal of this book is to make learning more obtainable and to create a platform for long-term recall for court reporters, paralegals, and anyone who wishes to understand legal terminology.

As B. M. Dickey, Chair of Court Reporting for one of the Community Colleges, said: “Infrequently you run across a truly superior textbook that makes the teacher’s job much easier, and is so naturally suited to the students and their needs that you can’t wait to tell others about your find. Legal Terminology and Theory for Court Reporters and Paralegals by Ted H. Gordon is just such a book. It is well written, comprehensive, logically organized, and extremely well received by students.”

Ted H. Gordon, J.D., M.B.A. Marin County And California Bar Associations (Inactive Member) Adjunct Professor, Golden Gate University-San Francisco (Emeritus) Instructor, Court Reporting-California Community Colleges (Emeritus)