Part of lawyering is knowing (or pretending to know) what you’re doing. To do so, you have to speak lawyer and you can’t speak lawyer unless you are aware of the legal acronym game.

Civil Lawyering Acronyms

D:                    Defendant

P:                     Plaintiff

DOL:                Date of Loss

DWOP:            Dismiss Without Prejudice

DWQ:              Disposition by Written Question

EUO:               Examination Under Oath

JNOV:              Motion For Judgment Notwithstanding Verdict

MSJ:                Motion for Summary Judgment

TI:                   Temporary Injunction

Criminal Lawyering Acronyms

ADA:                Assistant District Attorney

DA:                  District Attorney

D:                    Defendant

AUSA:              Federal Assistant United States Attorney

CW:                 Complaining Witness

CS:                   Community Supervision

DNF:                Did Not File

DOEP:             Drug Offender Education Program

DW:                 Deadly Weapon

GFT:                Good For Trial

LPO:                Loss Prevention Officer

MAG/MADJ:   Motion to Adjudicate Guilt

MOEP:            Magistrates Order of Emergency Protection

MNT:               Motion for New Trial

MRP:               Motion to Revoke Probation

MTD:               Motion to Dismiss

MTS:               Motion to Suppress

PC:                  Probable Cause

NG:                  Not Guilty

PDR:                Petition for Discretionary Review

PO:                  Probation or Parole Officer or Protective Order

SJ:                    State Jail

TDCJ:              Texas Department of Corrections (i.e. prison)

UA:                  Urine Analysis

Child Protective Services (CPS) Lawyer Acronyms

FGC:    Family Group Conference

RO:      Ruled Out

RTB:    Reason to Believe

UTD:   Unable to Determine

Family Lawyering Acronyms

CS:                   Child Support

CP:                  Community Property

ESPO:              Extended Standard Possession Order

IOP:                 Intensive Out Patient

JMC:                Joint Managing Conservator

MC:                 Managing Conservator

MOEP:             Magistrate’s Order of Emergency Protection

OEP:                Order of Emergency Protection

PC:                  Possessory Conservation

PO:                  Protective Order

SOP:                Supportive Out Patient

SP:                   Separate Property

SPO:                Standard Possession Order

Immigration Lawyering Acronyms

EWI/IWI         Entry without Inspection

NOID               Notice of Intent to Deny

SIJ:                  Special Immigrant Juvenile

VD:                  Voluntary Departure

Mediation & Arbitration Lawyering Acronyms

ADR                 Alternative Dispute Resolution

BATNA:            Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

COM:               Court Ordered Mediation

DRC:                Dispute Resolution Center

EATNA:           Estimated Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

MLATNA         Most Likely Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

MOU:              Memorandum of Understanding

MSA:               Mediation Settlement Agreement

WATNA:          Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement

Probate & Guardianship Acronyms

AOH:               Affidavit of Heirship

AAL/GAL:        Attorney/Guardian Ad Litem

BK:                  Bankruptcy

CP:                  Community Property

DOH:               Determination of Heirship

G-Ship:            Guardianship

GOP/GOE:      Guardian of Person/Estate

H-Ship:           Heirship

SEA:                Small Estate Affidavit

SP:                   Separate Property

T’EE:               Trustee

T’OR:               Testator

Real Estate & Transactional Lawyering Acronyms

AP:                  Adverse Possession

BPO:                Broker’s Price Opinion

CRE:                Commercial Real Estate

DIL:                 Deed In Lieu of Foreclosure

DOT:               Deed of Trust

EMK:               Earnest Money Contract

EML:               Existing Mineral Lease

EV:                  Eviction

GWD:              General Warranty Deed

LL:                   Landlord

PN:                  Promissory Note

POT:                Paid Outside of Title

POC:                Point of Contact 

RE:                  Real Estate

REA:                Real Estate Agent

REI:                 Real Estate Investor

RMLO:             Residential Mortgage Lease Option

SWD:               Special Warranty Deed

T:                     Tenant

TI:                   Temporary Injunction

TP:                  Tax Payer

WD/VL:          Warranty Deed with Vendor’s Lien

Other Lawyering Acronyms

B/4:                Before

BRA:                Business Records Affidavit

EE:                  Employee

ER:                  Employer

FOF:                Finder of Fact

FTA:                Failure to Appear

IAC:                 Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

LM:                  Left Message

LMTCB:           Left Message to Call Back

MTD:               Motion to Dismiss

PNC:                Potential New Client

POA:                Power of Attorney

SOL:                Statute of Limitations

UPL:                Unauthorized Practice of Law

W/R:               Whether

And of course when all else fails there is always, POS, SOB, FU & WTF.