Acción judicial means “legal action.” Pleito usually means “lawsuit” or “action.”
Tribunal can also refer to a jury or panel, but this meaning is rarely used in a legal context— jurado is the more common word for a legal jury . Juzgado can also mean “courthouse.”
It’s usually used to describe various acts. For instance, acto delictivo means “criminal act.”
In a legal context, acusar can also mean “to charge.” The reflexive, acusarse, can also mean “to confess.”
But let’s get started the right way with 40 common terms every legal professional needs to know!
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Additionally, learning Spanish legal terms will allow you to help people that many other legal professionals cannot help. Clear communication is important, so clients who do not speak English fluently will need someone who can communicate with them in order to navigate through the criminal justice process. As the Denver Bar Association Docket notes, speaking Spanish allows lawyers to help an under-served population access justice.