What is POFP?

Why do lawyers refer to long documents as briefs and
18-year olds as infants? Why do they use so much Latin when so few of their
clients are Ancient Romans? Is it a conspiracy?


Party of the First Part has the answers! Check out the Website for the
Legalese Hall of Shame; a glossary of legal words linked to Adam Freedman's
columns; tips on writing legal documents in plain English; and more!



Saturday, August 18, 2007

Word of the Week

Jurat

In Latin, jurat means "he swears" (from jurare, to swear). In English, it's a noun. It is the common name for a notary's certificate: the little burst of legalese at the end of an affidavit saying "Sworn to and subscribed before me this ___ day of ___ , etc."

The word is also used generally to refer to any person who has sworn an oath. In the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney) a jurat is a type of magistrate, appointed for life. According to Black's Law Dictionary, juration is the act of swearing. Of course, that's also the way an Englishman says "duration."

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