Legal proceeding

A formal process in which a court, tribunal, or other authorized body resolves a legal dispute or enforces rights under established rules.

Pleading: A formal written statement that sets out a party’s claims or defenses in a legal case. Pleadings define the issues that the proceeding will resolve.
Jurisdiction: The legal authority of a court or other body to hear a matter and make binding decisions. Jurisdiction determines whether the body can hear this proceeding.
Alternative dispute resolution: Methods of resolving disputes outside ordinary court litigation, including arbitration and mediation. These methods can resolve disputes without a court proceeding.
Civil procedure: The rules and practices governing noncriminal lawsuits in court. Civil procedure organizes proceedings over private rights and obligations.
Res judicata: The doctrine that a final judgment bars relitigation of claims already decided between the same parties. A final proceeding can prevent the same claim from being brought again.
Discovery (law): The pretrial process for obtaining relevant information and evidence from other parties or third parties. Discovery lets parties gather material before presenting their cases.
Standing (law): The legal requirement that a person have a sufficient connection to a dispute to bring a claim. Standing limits who may initiate or participate in a proceeding.
Arbitration: A private dispute-resolution process in which an arbitrator issues a decision, often binding on the parties. Arbitration replaces court adjudication when parties or law direct disputes to it.
Criminal procedure: The rules governing investigation, prosecution, trial, and punishment of criminal offenses. Criminal procedure governs proceedings that determine criminal liability.
Precedent: A prior judicial decision that guides or binds courts deciding later cases. Some decisions influence how later proceedings resolve similar legal questions.

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Matter (law)Narrower topic: A matter may encompass one or more formal proceedings.