Research the law
Legal Research Library
Start with official sources. Before relying on any statute or case, confirm it is current and still good law.
Georgia law — statutes, rules & appellate opinions
Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.)
Georgia General Assembly — legislation and access to the Georgia Code.
www.legis.ga.gov/
Georgia Civil Practice Act
O.C.G.A. Title 9, Chapter 11 — the rules governing civil cases in Georgia courts.
law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-9/chapter-11/
Georgia Rules of Evidence
O.C.G.A. Title 24 — what evidence can be used and how.
law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-24/
Uniform Superior Court Rules
Uniform court rules published through the Supreme Court of Georgia.
www.gasupreme.us/rules/
Supreme Court of Georgia Opinions
Recent and archived opinions from Georgia's highest court.
www.gasupreme.us/opinions/
Georgia Court of Appeals Opinions
Opinions and docket search for the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
www.gaappeals.us/
Federal law
United States Code
Official federal statutes from the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
uscode.house.gov/
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Current federal civil rules from the U.S. Courts.
www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure
Federal Rules of Evidence
Current federal evidence rules.
www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-evidence
Case law & legal dictionaries
CourtListener
Free searchable case law from the Free Law Project.
www.courtlistener.com/
Google Scholar — Case Law
Search court opinions by case name or subject (select 'Case law').
scholar.google.com/
Justia Georgia Law
Free access to Georgia codes and case law.
law.justia.com/georgia/
Wex Legal Dictionary
Plain-language legal definitions from Cornell Law School.
www.law.cornell.edu/wex
GALILEO / Public Library Access
Georgia's virtual library — some legal databases available through your library card.
www.galileo.usg.edu/
Legal definitions
- Plaintiff
- The person or business that starts a civil lawsuit.
- Defendant
- The person or business being sued in a civil lawsuit.
- Petitioner / Respondent
- The party who files a petition, and the party who answers it — common in family and appeal matters.
- Pro se
- Representing yourself in court without a lawyer.
- Complaint
- The first document filed by the plaintiff that explains the claims and what they are asking the court for.
- Answer
- The defendant's written response to a complaint. Georgia generally allows 30 days after service in Superior and State Court; Magistrate and dispossessory deadlines are shorter — always confirm with the court.
- Service of process
- The formal delivery of court papers to a party so they have notice of the case.
- Motion
- A written request asking the judge to make a specific ruling or order.
- Motion to dismiss
- A request asking the court to end a case, often because the complaint is legally insufficient.
- Summary judgment
- A ruling without a full trial when the important facts are not genuinely disputed.
- Discovery
- The process where parties exchange information and evidence before trial, such as documents and written questions.
- Interrogatories
- Written questions one party sends another, which must be answered under oath.
- Hearing
- A court proceeding where the judge hears arguments or evidence on a specific issue.
- Exhibit
- A document or object offered as evidence, usually labeled with a number or letter.
- Evidence
- Information — testimony, documents, photos — offered to prove or disprove a fact.
- Hearsay
- An out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of what it says; often not allowed unless an exception applies.
- Burden of proof
- The duty to prove a claim. In most civil cases the standard is 'preponderance of the evidence' — more likely than not.
- Default judgment
- A judgment entered against a party who fails to respond or appear.
- Dispossessory
- Georgia's term for an eviction proceeding brought by a landlord.
- Garnishment
- A court process that lets a creditor collect money from wages or a bank account.
- Statute
- A written law passed by a legislature, such as the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.).
- Statute of limitations
- The time limit for filing a lawsuit. It varies by type of claim.
- Case law / precedent
- Law created by court decisions that guides how later cases are decided.
- Jurisdiction
- A court's authority to hear a certain type of case or cases from a certain place.
- Venue
- The specific county or location where a case should be heard.
- Appeal
- A request for a higher court to review a lower court's decision for legal error.
- Continuance
- A postponement of a hearing or trial to a later date.
- Affidavit
- A written statement of facts sworn to be true, usually signed before a notary.
- Subpoena
- A court order requiring a person to appear or produce documents.
- Relief
- What a party asks the court to give or order, such as money or dismissal.
General definitions for education only. See the Wex Legal Dictionary for more.