Mr. John Haney's Guide : Pleadings & Practitioner Items

Complaint - the pleading that marks the beginning of a case; the document that sets forth a jurisdictional basis for the court's power, the plaintiff's cause of action, and a demand for judicial relief.

Answer - the defendant's first pleading in a case; the document that addresses the dispute on the merits and presents any defenses and counterclaims.  A typical answer denies most of the plaintiff's allegations and claims complete defenses to allegations that are not denied.

Counterclaim - a claim for relief filed against an opposing party after the original claim is filed.  Most commonly, it is a claim by the defendant against the plaintiff.

Crossclaim- a claim brought by one defendant against another in the same proceeding.

Order - the decision of a court or judge.

Pre-Trial Motions - procedural tools in which one party asks the judge to make a ruling or order on a legal issue. Motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment are two more common pre-trial motions.

Motions After Trial - The losing party can file a motion for a new trial, claiming there were legal errors that harmed the losing party's position. The losing party can also file a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, arguing that the evidence cannot possibly support the jury's verdict. Motions like these are very rarely granted because the moving party has a very difficult burden of proof to overcome.

Amended Pleadings - The court can give either party permission to file an amended pleading, which simply changes or expands on the information provided in the original version of the document (an amended complaint might contain allegations not included in the original, and an amended answer might include affirmative defense not previously raised, for example).

Writ of Certiorari - an order a higher court issues in order to review the decision and proceedings in a lower court and determine whether there were any irregularities.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/pleading