This list includes 108 Legal terms that start with L, from “Labor law” to “Loss of consortium”. They range from procedural and statutory terms to tort and contract concepts, useful in research, drafting, and exams.

Legal terms that start with L are words used in law to name doctrines, procedures, rights, or claims. Many come from Latin roots such as “lex” or reflect common practice areas like labor and liability.

Below you’ll find the table with Term, Definition, Etymology, Jurisdiction, and Example.

Term: The exact legal word or phrase so you can quickly locate the entry you need when researching or studying.

Definition: A concise one- or two-sentence legal definition that explains the term’s meaning and typical use in practice.

Etymology: Brief origin notes showing language roots and historical context to help you understand why the term developed.

Jurisdiction: Labels the legal system or country where the term commonly applies, so you know its geographic relevance.

Example: A short illustrative instance or case usage that helps you see how the term appears in documents or practice.

Legal terms that start with L

TermPart of speechJurisdictionEtymology/Origin
LiennounUS,UK,CA,AU,Common lawOld French/Latin ‘ligare’ to bind
LeasenounUS,UK,CA,AU,Common lawOld English/Old Norse, medieval
LessornounUS,UK,CA,AUFrom lease (Middle English)
LesseenounUS,UK,CA,AUFrom lease + French -ee
Libelnoun/verbUS,UK,CA,AULatin ‘libellus’ little book
LachesnounUS,UK,Common lawAnglo-French/Old French doctrine
LiabilitynounUS,UK,CA,AU,Common lawLatin ‘ligare’ to bind
Liability insurancenounUS,CA,UK,AUModern insurance term
Licensenoun/verbUS,UK,CA,AULatin ‘licere’ to be permitted
LicenseenounUS,UK,CA,AUFrom license + -ee (French)
LienholdernounUS,CA,UK,AU,Common lawFrom lien + holder
Life estatephraseUS,UK,CA,Common lawMedieval, from ‘life’ + estate
Life tenantnounUS,UK,CACommon law derivation
Living willphraseUS,UK,CA20th century statutory concept
Living trustphraseUSModern estate planning term
LitigationnounUS,UK,CA,AU,Common lawLatin litigio ‘lawsuit’
LitigantnounUS,UK,CA,AUFrom litigate (Latin)
Long-arm statutephraseUS,CA20th century statutory term
Lis pendensphraseUS,UK,CA,Common lawLatin ‘suit pending’
Locus standiphraseUS,UK,Common lawLatin ‘place of standing’
Lex lociphraseINT,Common law,Civil lawLatin ‘law of the place’
Lex loci delictiphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘law of place of tort’
Lex loci contractusphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘law of place of contract’
Lex foriphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘law of the forum’
Lex mercatoriaphraseINT,Commercial lawLatin ‘merchant law’, medieval
Lex specialisphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘special law’
Lex posteriorphraseINTLatin ‘later law’
Lex talionisphraseINT,HistoricalLatin ‘law of retaliation’
Letter of creditphraseINT,US,UK,Commercial law19th-century commercial practice
Letter of intentphraseUS,UK,CAModern commercial term
Letters testamentaryphraseUS,UKLatin ‘letters of testament’
Letters of administrationphraseUS,UK,CALatin/medieval origin
Letters patentphraseUK,USLatin ‘letters open’ medieval
Levynoun/verbUS,UK,CA,AUOld French ‘levée’, Latin levare ‘raise’
Legal aidphraseUK,US,CA,AU19th–20th century public law
Legal fictionphraseUS,UK,CAMedieval/Latin origin
Legal personalityphraseINT,Common lawLatin persona, Roman law roots
Legal tenderphraseUS,UK,CA,AUMedieval origin
Legal malpracticephraseUS,CA,UK20th-century tort concept
Legal representativephraseUS,UK,CALatin/medieval usage
LesionnounCivil law,QC (CA),Civil law jurisdictionsLatin laesio ‘injury’
Liquidated damagesphraseUS,UK,CA,AULatin ‘liquidare’ metaphorical
LiquidationnounUK,CA,AU,Common lawLatin liquidare ‘to liquidate’
Lis alibi pendensphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘suit elsewhere pending’
Local ordinancephraseUS,UK,CA,AUModern municipal law term
Life insurancephraseUS,UK,CA18th–19th century commercial law
Limited liabilityphraseUS,UK,CA,AU19th-century corporate law principle
Limited liability companyphraseUS,CAModern statutory entity (1970s US origin)
Limited partnershipphraseUS,UK,CA19th-century commercial law
LiquidatornounUK,CA,AU,Common lawFrom liquidation
Local counselphraseUS,INTModern litigation practice
LawnounUS,UK,INTOld English/Germanic roots
Legal entityphraseUS,UK,INTLatin persona, Roman law
Letter rogatoryphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘requesting letters’
Letters of marquephraseINT,HistoricalMedieval maritime practice
Lien theoryphraseUS19th-century mortgage doctrine
LandlordnounUS,UK,CA,AUOld English
Land registryphraseUK,AU,CA,Common law19th-century institutional term
Land registrationphraseUK,AU,CAModern property law practice
Land usephraseUS,UK,AUPlanning law term
LegacynounUS,UK,CALatin legatus ‘bequest’
LegateenounUS,UK,CALatin legatus
LegislationnounUS,UK,CA,AULatin legis lat. ‘of law’
Legislative historyphraseUS,UKModern statutory interpretation practice
Legislative intentphraseUS,UKModern interpretation concept
Legislative supremacyphraseUK,Common lawHistorical constitutional doctrine
LegitimationnounCivil law,INTLatin legitimus ‘lawful’
Litigation holdphraseUS,INTModern e-discovery term
Limitation periodphraseUK,CA,AU,Common lawMedieval statute origins
Loss of consortiumphraseUS,UK19th-century tort damages
Lesser included offensephraseUS,Common lawCriminal law doctrine
Lock-up agreementphraseUS,INTModern securities practice
Letter of indemnityphraseINT,Commercial lawCommercial practice term
Law clerknounUS,UK,CA,AUModern court role
Law of agencyphraseUS,UK,Common lawRoman law roots refined in common law
LeaseholdnounUK,Common lawOld English
LandownernounUS,UK,CA,AUOld English
Landlord and tenantphraseUK,US,Common lawHistorical legal relationship
Legal capacityphraseUS,UK,CARoman law origins
Liability waiverphraseUS,CA,UKModern contract term
Local governmentphraseUS,UK,CA,AUMedieval/local administrative roots
LawfuladjectiveUS,UK,CAOld English/Germanic
LawsuitnounUS,UK,CA,AU,Common lawOld English roots
LegislatornounUS,UK,CA,AULatin legislator
Legal privilegephraseUS,UK,CA,AUCommon law doctrine
Law reportphraseUK,Common law,INT19th-century publishing term
Legal remedyphraseUS,UK,CA,AUMedieval/Latin roots
Lex loci contractusphraseINT,Common lawLatin ‘law of the place of contract’
Lex loci celebrationisphraseINTLatin ‘law of place of celebration’
LimitationnounUK,CA,AU,Common lawLatin limitare ‘to bound’
Legal custodyphraseUS,UK,CAFamily law term
Legal guardianphraseUS,UK,CA,AULatin/medieval roots
Locus in quophraseCommon law,INTLatin ‘place in which’
Labor lawphraseUS,UK,CA,AUIndustrial-era origin
Labor unionnounUS,UK,CA,AU19th-century industrial term
Lawful excusephraseCommon law,UK,USMedieval common-law doctrine
Limited partnernounUS,UK,CAFrom partnership law
Loan agreementphraseUS,UK,INTCommercial law term
Lien priorityphraseUS,Common lawSecured-transaction doctrine
Landlord’s lienphraseUS,Common lawHistorical property law doctrine
Lease optionphraseUS,UKProperty/contract term
Legal successionphraseINT,Common law,Civil lawRoman law origin
Legal standingphraseUS,UK,Common lawSee locus standi adaptation
Land banknoun/phraseUS,CA,AUModern municipal finance term
Leasebacknoun/phraseUS,INTCommercial finance practice
Legal agephraseUS,UK,CARoman/medieval lineage
Legal assistancephraseUS,UK,CAPublic law/social policy term
Law reformphraseUK,Common law,INTModern legal policy activity

Descriptions

Lien
A secured interest giving a creditor rights in property to satisfy a debt; procedures and priorities vary by jurisdiction.
Lease
Contract granting possession or use of property for a term in exchange for rent; governed by landlord-tenant law.
Lessor
Owner who grants a lease to another; has duties and rights under lease terms and statute.
Lessee
Person who holds or occupies property under a lease, with specific possessory rights and obligations.
Libel
Defamation in a fixed, usually published form; civil tort and in some jurisdictions criminal offense.
Laches
Equitable defense that bars relief when a claimant unreasonably delays, causing prejudice to defendant.
Liability
Legal responsibility for loss, obligation, or debt; central to tort, contract and statutory claims.
Liability insurance
Policy covering insured against civil liability for injury or damage; regulation varies by jurisdiction.
License
Authority or permission from a competent body to do acts that would otherwise be unlawful or restricted.
Licensee
Person who receives a license; in tort law, their status affects duty of care owed by landowners.
Lienholder
A party who holds a lien on property and may enforce it to satisfy the secured obligation.
Life estate
An ownership interest measured by a life that ends on death and then passes to remainder or reversion holders.
Life tenant
Person who possesses a life estate and has rights to use property during the measuring life.
Living will
Advance directive stating medical treatment preferences if a person cannot communicate; statutes and forms vary.
Living trust
Revocable trust created during settlor’s life to hold and manage assets for beneficiaries, often to avoid probate.
Litigation
The process of resolving disputes in court, including pleadings, discovery, trial and appeals.
Litigant
Party engaged in litigation; plaintiffs and defendants are litigants.
Long-arm statute
Statute allowing courts to exercise jurisdiction over non-resident defendants based on specified contacts.
Lis pendens
Recorded notice that a lawsuit affecting title to property is pending, potentially affecting future transfers.
Locus standi
Legal standing; the right of a person to bring a case because they are affected by the matter.
Lex loci
Choice-of-law principle applying the law of the location where an event occurred.
Lex loci delicti
Rule applying the substantive law of the place where a tort occurred in conflict-of-laws analysis.
Lex loci contractus
Choice-of-law rule applying law of the place where a contract was made.
Lex fori
The procedural law of the forum court, often used for matters of procedure and evidence.
Lex mercatoria
Transnational commercial customs and principles used in international trade and arbitration.
Lex specialis
Principle that a specific law governs over a general law on the same subject.
Lex posterior
Principle that later statutes prevail over earlier conflicting statutes.
Lex talionis
Ancient retributive principle (“an eye for an eye”); mostly of historical interest.
Letter of credit
Bank’s commitment to pay a seller on presentation of stipulated documents in international trade.
Letter of intent
Preliminary document outlining proposed transaction terms; generally non-binding unless specified.
Letters testamentary
Court-issued authority empowering an executor to administer a decedent’s estate.
Letters of administration
Court grant appointing an administrator to handle an intestate decedent’s estate.
Letters patent
Official open document granting rights, titles or offices, e.g., patents or royal privileges.
Levy
Seizure of property or imposition of tax by authority to satisfy debts or judgments.
Legal aid
Publicly funded legal assistance for eligible people who cannot afford legal representation.
Legal fiction
Court-held assumption that treats a fact as true to apply legal rules, despite conflicting reality.
Legal personality
Recognition that an entity (person or corporation) can hold rights and duties under law.
Legal tender
Currency that must be accepted for payment of debts under statute; specific forms recognized vary.
Legal malpractice
Professional negligence by an attorney that causes client harm, giving rise to civil liability.
Legal representative
Person authorized to act for another in legal matters, such as an attorney, guardian or executor.
Lesion
In civil law, a contractual injury (e.g., gross unfairness); also used for physical injury in torts.
Liquidated damages
Pre-agreed sum payable for breach of contract; enforceable if a genuine pre-estimate, not punitive.
Liquidation
Process of winding-up a company’s affairs and distributing assets to satisfy creditors and shareholders.
Lis alibi pendens
Doctrine where a court may decline hearing a case because the same dispute is pending in another forum.
Local ordinance
Law enacted by a local government body; enforceable within the local jurisdiction.
Life insurance
Contract paying beneficiaries upon insured’s death; regulated by insurance statutes.
Limited liability
Legal doctrine limiting owners’ losses to the amount invested in an enterprise.
Limited liability company
Business entity combining corporate limited liability with partnership taxation features in many jurisdictions.
Limited partnership
Partnership with both general partners (management and unlimited liability) and limited partners (liability limited to contribution).
Liquidator
Officer appointed to wind up a company’s affairs and distribute proceeds to creditors and members.
Local counsel
Attorney licensed in a particular jurisdiction who assists out-of-jurisdiction counsel with local rules and court appearances.
Law
System of rules created and enforced by government institutions, including statutes, cases and regulations.
Legal entity
Organization or person recognized by law as having rights and obligations, separate from owners or members.
Letter rogatory
A formal judicial request from a court to a foreign court for assistance, such as service or taking evidence.
Letters of marque
Government license authorizing private vessels to capture enemy ships; largely obsolete and rare today.
Lien theory
Property law approach treating mortgages as liens on property, not transfers of title; relevant to foreclosures.
Landlord
Owner who rents property to a tenant and owes statutory and contractual duties.
Land registry
Government office or system recording land ownership and interests, used to verify title.
Land registration
System for registering and publicly recording land ownership and encumbrances, simplifying transactions.
Land use
Regulatory framework (zoning, covenants) determining permissible uses of land within a jurisdiction.
Legacy
Gift of personal property by will; sometimes used interchangeably with bequest or testamentary gift.
Legatee
Person who receives a legacy under a will.
Legislation
Statutes enacted by legislatures; primary source of law in most systems.
Legislative history
Records of debates and documents used by courts to discern lawmakers’ intent, weight varies by jurisdiction.
Legislative intent
Courts’ inquiry into the purpose behind a statute when construing ambiguous provisions.
Legislative supremacy
Doctrine that the legislature is the supreme law-making body, subject to constitutional limits in some systems.
Legitimation
Process by which a child born out of wedlock is granted legal status as legitimate; methods vary.
Litigation hold
Duty to preserve relevant documents and data when litigation is reasonably anticipated.
Limitation period
Time limit after which a legal claim is barred; varies by claim type and jurisdiction.
Loss of consortium
Damages for loss of companionship, services or affection of a close family member due to injury.
Lesser included offense
Offense whose elements are entirely contained within a greater offense; affects jury instructions and convictions.
Lock-up agreement
Contract restricting insiders from selling shares for a defined period after an IPO to stabilize market.
Letter of indemnity
Document where one party agrees to indemnify another against specified losses, common in shipping and trade.
Law clerk
Attorney or graduate assisting judges with research, drafting opinions and preparing decisions.
Law of agency
Rules governing relationships where one person (agent) acts on behalf of another (principal).
Leasehold
An estate in land held under a lease for a defined term rather than freehold ownership.
Landowner
Person or entity that owns real property and holds legal rights and duties toward it.
Landlord and tenant
Body of law regulating the rights and obligations between property owners and tenants.
Legal capacity
Ability to have legal rights and to enter binding transactions; affected by age, mental competence and statute.
Liability waiver
Contract clause where party agrees to give up right to sue for certain harms; enforceability varies widely.
Local government
Public body with statutory powers to govern a defined local area and enact bylaws or ordinances.
Lawful
Conforming to law; used to describe permitted acts or statuses under statute or common law.
Lawsuit
Legal action brought to enforce or defend a right in court; synonymous with civil action in many jurisdictions.
Legislator
Person who drafts, proposes, or enacts legislation; member of a legislative body.
Legal privilege
Privilege protecting certain communications (e.g., lawyer-client) from disclosure in legal proceedings.
Law report
Publication of judicial opinions used as precedent in common-law systems.
Legal remedy
Court-ordered relief (damages, injunctions, restitution) to enforce rights or redress wrongs.
Lex loci contractus
Conflict-of-law rule applying the law of the place where a contract was formed to contractual disputes.
Lex loci celebrationis
Rule applying law of place where a marriage was celebrated to determine validity, used in private international law.
Limitation
Legal restriction or bar, often referring to statutes of limitation or regulatory limits.
Legal custody
Parental right and duty to make long-term decisions for a child; may be sole or joint by statute.
Legal guardian
Person appointed to care for and make decisions for a minor or incapacitated adult.
Locus in quo
Location where an event occurred; used in property and evidentiary contexts.
Labor law
Body of law regulating employment, collective bargaining, workplace rights and employer obligations.
Labor union
Organization representing workers’ collective interests in wages, hours and working conditions.
Lawful excuse
A legally recognized justification for conduct that would otherwise be unlawful.
Limited partner
Partner in a limited partnership whose liability is limited to their contribution and who typically cannot manage affairs.
Loan agreement
Contract setting terms under which money is lent and repaid; often secured by collateral.
Lien priority
Rules determining order in which lienholders are paid from proceeds of sold or seized property.
Landlord’s lien
A landlord’s security interest in tenant’s property for unpaid rent; scope varies by jurisdiction.
Lease option
Lease provision giving tenant option to purchase property under specified terms within a period.
Legal succession
Rules governing transfer of rights and obligations after death, merger or corporate change.
Legal standing
Requirement that a party has a sufficient connection to and harm from the action challenged to support participation in the case.
Land bank
Public or quasi-public authority acquiring and managing vacant or foreclosed properties for redevelopment.
Leaseback
Transaction where seller leases back previously sold property to free capital while retaining use.
Legal age
Statutory age at which a person acquires full legal capacity to make decisions and enter contracts.
Legal assistance
Provision of legal advice or representation, often subsidized for those who cannot afford counsel.
Law reform
Process of reviewing and changing laws to improve clarity, fairness or social policy outcomes.
If you think there is a missing term, let us know using the contact form.