Jack Gilbert

Civil Law Legal Concepts Litigation

What is collateral estoppel?

March 26, 2026

Collateral estoppel (issue preclusion) prevents a party from relitigating an issue of fact or law that was already decided in a prior case. It applies...

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Court Orders Legal Procedures Restraining Orders

What is an ex parte order?

March 26, 2026

An ex parte order is a court order issued without notifying the other party, often within hours or days in urgent situations. Judges grant these...

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Court Procedures Evidence

What is in camera review?

March 26, 2026

In camera review is when a judge privately examines evidence or documents outside public view to decide whether they should be disclosed or admitted. It’s...

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Court Orders First Amendment Freedom of Speech

What is a gag order?

March 26, 2026

A gag order is a court order that restricts what parties, lawyers, witnesses, or jurors can publicly say about a case to protect the fairness...

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Constitutional Law Government Liability Legal Concepts

What is sovereign immunity?

March 26, 2026

Sovereign immunity is the doctrine that bars most lawsuits against federal and state governments unless they consent through a waiver. It protects agencies and officials...

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Constitutional Law Law and Society Legal Concepts

What is the rule of law?

March 26, 2026

The rule of law means everyone—including individuals, businesses, and government officials—is equally accountable under clear, publicly known, and fairly applied laws. It protects people from...

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Legal Concepts Legal Procedures Legal Rights

What is legal standing?

March 26, 2026

Legal standing is the legal requirement that you have a sufficient connection to—and harm from—a dispute to bring a lawsuit in court. In most cases,...

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Civil Litigation Legal Concepts Legal Definitions

What is res judicata?

March 26, 2026

Res judicata is a legal doctrine that generally bars a party from relitigating a claim after a final judgment on the merits has been entered....

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American Government Constitutional Law Government Powers and Authority Government Powers and Constitutional Limits

What is separation of powers?

March 26, 2026

Separation of powers divides government authority into 3 branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from gaining too much control. Each branch has distinct...

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American Government Civic Education & Media Literacy Constitutional Law

What is checks and balances?

March 26, 2026

Checks and balances is the U.S. system in which 3 branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—share power and can limit each other. It prevents any one branch...

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American Government Constitutional Law Federal vs State Law

What is federalism?

March 26, 2026

Federalism is a government system that divides power between a national government and state governments, creating two levels of authority. In the U.S., the Constitution...

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Evidence Handling Evidence Law Legal Evidence Management

What is chain of custody?

March 26, 2026

Chain of custody is a continuous, documented record of evidence control from collection through courtroom presentation, showing no tampering or contamination. It logs each transfer’s...

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