(Updated) Law School Shorthand

We have gotten a lot of feedback about how helpful the prior shorthand post has been when preparing for class and taking notes in class. Below, we have added additional abbreviations to the list. As mentioned in the prior post, there is not a right or wrong way to do things, but making use of these abbreviations can be a time saver.

Π or P – plaintiff
∆ or D - defendant

Aff’d - affirmed
Rev’d - reversed

TC - Trial Court
AC - Appellate Court
Cir. - Circuit Court(s) of Appeals (i.e. 2d Cir.)
COA - Court of Appeals
DC - District Court
SC or SCt - Supreme Court

admin. - administrative (or administration)
alt. - alternative
Ame – Amendment
ans – answer
arb - arbitration (arbitrator)
arg. - argument
AE – assignee
AR – assignor
Ass'n - association
a/r - assumption of risk
atty - attorney
auth - authority

BR or bankr. - bankruptcy
bc or b/c – because
B – beneficiary
Bd. - board
BFP – bona fide purchaser
BoP or b/p – burden of proof (or bill of particulars)

CB - casebook
cent - central
CA - class action
CE - collateral estoppel
CL – common law
co. - company
CP – condition precedent
CS – condition subsequent
Cong. - Congress(ional)
cx - consideration
Con. – constitutional(ity)
K - contract(s)
CNeg - contributory negligence
© or (c) - copyright
Corp. – corporation
c-c - counterclaim
Ct. - court
cx-c - crossclaim

def. - defense
dem – demurrer
dept. or dep't - department
diff – different
disc or discrim - discrimination
dist. - district
div - division

EE – employee
ER – employer
Emp - employment
Ev – evidence

Fed – Federal
FRCP - Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
FRE - Federal Rules of Evidence

g/r or GRULE – general rule
gov or gov’t - government

HDC – holder in due course
H – husband

Inc. - incorporated
indem - indemnity (indemnify)
indep - independent
ins - insurance
Int'l - international

JMOL - judgment as a matter of law
JNOV - judgment notwithstanding the verdict
j/t – joint tenant
J - judgment
Jdx or jurisd - jurisdiction

L - landlord
l/c - letter of credit
liab - liability
ltd - limited
LLC - limited liability company
LLP - limited liability partnership
lit or litig - litigation

Maj. – majority
Min. - minority
MPC - Model Penal Code
MTD - motion to dismiss

Neg. – negligence
No. - number

OE – offeree
OR – offeror
op. - opinion
O - order
org. - organization

p’ship - partnership
PJ - personal jurisdiction
p/f – prima facie
PE – promisee
PR - promisor
Prop – property

Rxn – reaction
RE or R/E - real estate
® - registered trademark
reg(s) - regulation(s)
Req’d - required
R, R2 - Restatement of Law, Restatement Second
Rev - review
RAP – Rule Against Perpetuities

§ or s - section
SHolder or S'holder - shareholder
St – state
Std – standard
SoL – statute of limitations
SoF – statute of frauds
SL – strict liability
SMJ - subject matter jurisdiction
SJ - summary judgment

TRO - temporary restraining order
T - tenant
TP or 3rd P – third party
TPB or 3rd PB – third party beneficiary
™ or TM - trademark
Tr. - trustee

Unif. - uniform
UCC – Uniform Commercial Code
USC - United States Code

v - versus

W - wife
w/ - with
w/in - within
w/o - without