Civil Liberties Vocabulary

noun A Latin term meaning 'friend of the court', referring to a person or organization that is not a party to a case but offers information or expertise to assist the court in making a decision

• The amicus curiae brief submitted by the legal expert provided valuable insight to the court.
• The friend of the court brief, or amicus curiae, was really helpful in explaining the legal issues.
• The court got some extra help from the amicus curiae, which was pretty cool.
• The amicus curiae acted as a guiding light for the court in understanding the complex legal matters.

noun a formal statement of the rights of a group of people, especially in a constitution or similar document

• The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
• The Bill of Rights guarantees our individual freedoms.
• The Bill of Rights is like our list of super important rules.
• The Bill of Rights is the backbone of our civil liberties.

noun A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'police state' is a noun phrase that refers to a government system in which the police have extensive power and control over the population.

• The country's transition into a police state was met with international concern.
• People are worried that our government is turning into a police state.
• I heard this new law is going to make us all feel like we're living in a police state.
• The strict rules at the office make it feel like a police state sometimes.

noun a legal document filed in appellate court cases by non-litigants with a strong interest in the subject matter

• The legal team submitted an amicus brief to provide additional perspective on the case.
• My friend's lawyer friend wrote an amicus brief to help out with the court case.
• The lawyer dude sent in an amicus brief to back up his homie's case.
• In a way, the amicus brief acted like a supporting character in the legal drama unfolding in court.