• Civil Action: A legal proceeding in which one person (the plaintiff) demands something (often money) from another person (the defendant) based on an injury or loss to the plaintiff.

• Complaint: The legal document that starts a civil action.

• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint against another party (the defendant).

• Defendant: The person against whom the plaintiff files the complaint.

• Pro se:  Used to describe someone filing a civil action without an attorney, pronounced “pro say.”

• In Forma Pauperis: Used to describe someone who is unable to pay the court’s filing fee due to poverty, pronounced “in form-a paw-per-iss.”

For definitions of more terms you may hear during your case and in court, visit the United States Courts Glossary.

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