AA       

Alcoholics Anonymous

AAD

Administrative Adjudication Division

AAP    

Adoptive Assistance Program (State Hearings)

ABA    

American Bar Association

ABC    

Alcohol Beverage Commission

ACLU  

American Civil Liberties Union

ADA    

Americans with Disability Act

ADD    

Attention Deficit disorder

ADHD  

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder

ADW   

Assault with a Deadly Weapon

AFDC

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (replaced by TANF)

ALJ     

Administrative law judge

ALRB  

Agricultural Labor Relations Board

Answers          

The formal response to a complaint filed against someone

APP

Aid Paid Pending

APS    

Adult Protective Services

AR

Authorized Representative (State Hearings)

BIA      

Bureau of Indian Affairs

BIP      

Behavior Intervention Plan

BWS   

Battered Woman Syndrome

CalWORKs      

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids

CBO    

Community Based Organization

cc        

Courtesy copy; copy of document sent to other than person named

Originally - carbon copy

CCP    

Code of Civil Procedure

CDC    

Center for Disease Control

CDE     

California Department of Education

CED     

Community Economic Development

CFR     

Code of Federal Regulations

CHHS  

California Health and Human Services

CHIPS 

Children's Health Insurance Program

CIA      

Central Intelligence Agency

cite     

Reference that supports statement "citation"

CLETS 

Criminal Law Enforcement Tracking System

CMH    

County Mental Health

COBRA

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 - gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances

Complaint       

First document filed to start a lawsuit against someone

CPS    

Child Protective Services

CSS    

Child Support Service

DA       

District Attorney

DD       

Developmental Disability

DDS    

Department of Developmental Services

Default

What happens if a party fails to file an answer to the lawsuit

Defendant       

Person defending against a legal action

Deponent        

Person who is being deposed (questioned) at a deposition

DOB

Date of Birth

DOT    

Department of Transportation; Dictionary of Occupational Titles

DFEH   

Department of Fair Employment & Housing

DHS    

Department of Health Services

Department of Homeland Security

DIS      

Designated Instructional Services

DMH    

Department of Mental Health

DMV    

Department of Motor Vehicles (State)

DOI     

Department of the Interior

DOJ     

Department of Justice

DOL    

Department of Labor

DOR    

Department of Rehabilitation

DP       

Due Process

DSS    

Department of Social Services

DUI      

Driving Under the Influence

DV       

Domestic Violence

EBT     

Electronic Benefit Transfer

EDD     

Employment Development Department

EEOC  

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

EL       

English Learner

ENCL   

Enclosed

EPA     

Environmental Protection Act

ERISA 

Employment Retirement Income Security Act

EPSDT

Early Periodic Screening & Diagnostic Testing

Esq.     

Esquire

et. seq 

In a series, continuing beyond specific cite

EW

Eligibility Worker

Execute          

To sign

Ex Parte Order

Motion brought by single party to a judge

F2nd   

Federal Second

FAPE   

Free Appropriate Public Education

FBI      

Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBU

Family Budget Unit

FED     

Forcible entry and detainer

FEHA   

Fair Employment and Housing Act

FEMA  

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FOIA   

Freedom of Information Act

GA      

General Assistance

GLBT  

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender people

GR      

General Relief

HHS    

Health and Human Services

http://www.hhs.gov/

HMO    

Health Maintenance Organization

HUD    

Housing and Urban Development

http://www.hud.gov/

i.d.      

same cite as before

i.e.      

for example

I-95      

Form to get lawful permanent residence  (LPR)

IBID     

Same cite as before

IDEA    

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP      

Individual Education Plan

IFSP    

Individual Family Service Plan

IG        

Inspector General

IHS      

Indian Health Service

IHP      

Individual Habitation Plan

IHSS   

In Home Support Service

In forma Pauperis                   

Fee waiver

INS      

Immigration and Naturalization Service

Now part of the Department of Homeland Security

http://www.immigration.gov 

IOLA   

Interest on Lawyer Account

IOLTA 

Interest on Lawyers Trust Account

IPP      

Individual Program Plan

IRS      

Internal Revenue Service

http://www.irs.gov/

JAG     

Judge Advocate General

JD       

Juris Doctorate

Judgment       

The judge's final decision of the case

LEP     

Limited English Proficiency

LL       

Landlord

LLM    

Masters in Law

LPR     

Legal Permanent Residence

LRE     

Least Restrictive Environment

LSC     

Legal Services Corporation

http://www.lsc.gov/

LTC     

Long Term Care

LTCC   

Long Term Care Council

MH      

Mental Health

MIP     

Minor in Possession

N-400   

Naturalization Application

NHLP  

National Health Law Program

OAH    

Office of Administrative Hearings

OCR    

Office for Civil Rights

OCRA  

Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy

OHP    

Oregon Health Plan

Ombudsman   

Go-between on certain issues, i.e. Health Care Ombudsman

OP      

Opposing party

OSC    

Order to show cause

OSHA  

Occupational Safety and Health Act

OT       

Occupational Therapy

PAI      

Protection and Advocacy, Inc.

PD       

Public Defender

Penal  

Criminal

Petitioner        

Person filing formal request for relief

PHA    

Public Housing Authority

Π 

Plaintiff

PJ       

Presiding Judge

Plaintiff           

Person who filed a complaint against someone

POMS 

Program Operational Manual Systems

PPO    

Preferred Provider Organization

Pro Per           

Without an attorney

Pro Se

Person Representing him/her self, at the federal level

PT       

Physical therapy

RC       

Regional Center

RO      

Restraining Order

§         

Section

§1983  

Civil Rights Act

SCHIP 

State Children's Health Insurance Program

http://cms.hhs.gov/schip/

SDI      

State Disability Insurance

Section 8        

Federally subsidized housing program administered by local PHA

SEIU    

Service Employees International Union

SIU

Special Investigative Unit

SSA    

Social Security Administration

http://www.ssa.gov/

SSDI   

Social Security Disability Insurance

SSI      

Supplemental Security Income

Stay    

To stop some legal action/activity from happening temporarily

Stet     

Leave it the way it was originally despite my markings to the contrary

TANF   

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

Δ         

Defendant

TRO    

Temporary Restraining Order

UD

Unlawful Detainer

UFW    

United Farm Workers

UIB      

Unemployment Insurance Benefit

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

http://www.usda.gov/

VA

Veterans' Administration

http://www.va.gov/

VAWA 

Violence Against Women Act

v         

versus, against

W2      

Financial tax form that confirms & states income from employment that year

W&I Code

Welfare & Institutions Code

WCLP 

Western Center on Law and Poverty

SYMBOLS

Π         

Plaintiff

§         

Section

Δ         

Defendant