Whether you are doing the typing or your secretary is, there are symbols, proofreading marks and abbreviations that are frequently used in the legal arena.  As a paralegal, it would be helpful for you to immediately familiarize yourself with them.  Legal secretaries will look for this from you when you hand them something to type because, quite often, that’s the protocol, the general practice of the attorneys with whom they work.  Likewise, attorneys will expect you to know what they mean when they use certain shorthand.

It’s a good idea to have some familiarity so you’re not wasting time looking them up during crunch time.  In addition to:  ™ Trademark; ® Registered; and © Copyright, below are  common abbreviations, shorthand and proofreading marks:

п  or P – Plaintiff

Δ or D – Defendant

Aff’d- affirmed
Rev’d- reversed

TC- Trial Court

AC- Appellate Court
DC – District Court
SC or SCt – Supreme Court

Ame – Amendment
ans – answer
arg. – argument
AE – assignee
AR – assignor
a/r – assumption of risk
atty – attorney

bc or b/c – because
B – beneficiary
BFP – bona fide purchaser
BoP or b/p – burden of proof

CL – common law
CP – condition precedent
CS – condition subsequent
cx – consideration
Con. – constitutional(ity)
Corp. – corporation
Ct. – court

dem – demurrer
diff – different
disc or discrim – discrimination

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

JNOV – judgment notwithstanding the verdict
j/t – joint tenant
J – judgment
Jdx or jurisd – jurisdiction

K – contract(s), agreement, stipulation or 1,000

L – landlord

Maj. – majority
Min. – minority
MTD – motion to dismiss

Neg. – negligence

OE – offeree
OR – offeror

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

Rxn – reaction
Req’d – required
R, R2 – Restatement of Law, Restatement Second
Rev – review
RAP – Rule Against Perpetuities

§- section
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

UCC – Uniform Commercial Code

v – versus

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