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contumely (kon-t[y]uu-ma-Iee or kan-t[y]oo-ma-Iee), n. Insulting language or treatment; scornful rudeness.

contutor (kan-t[y]oo-tar), n. [Latin] Roman law. A coguardian of a ward. Appointment as a coguardian could be accomplished by testament or by court order.

conubium (ka-n[y]oo-bee-am), n. [fr. Latin con "together" + nubere "to marry"]. Roman law. 1. The legal capacity to wed. 2. The collection of rights that accompany a marriage between persons who have the capacity to marry. - Also spelled connubium. - Also termed jus connubii. See CONCUBINATUS; JUSTAE NUPTIAE. "The word connubium denotes properly the right to intermarry with Roman citizens; and hence to contract a Roman marriage, according to the peculiar forms and with the peculiar incidents and effects of marriage between Roman citizens. Chief among these incidents or effects was the patria potestas, or life·long control of the father over his children, which, as we shall soon see, was among the most remarkable peculiarities ofthe Roman system. In general, connubium embraces the peculiar rights of Roman citizens, so far as they pertain to family relations." James Hadley, Introduction to Roman Law 116 (1881).

conusance (kon-ya-zants). 1. Cognizance; jurisdiction. The word con usance is actually an archaic form of cognizance. See COGNIZANCE (1); CLAIM OF COGNIZANCE. 2. JUDICIAL NOTICE. 3. An acknowledgment (of a debt, act, or opposing claim). Examples of conusance include an acknowledgment in replevin that the defendant took the sued-for goods, or an acknowledgment in a land transfer (by fine) that the grantee is entitled to the land. See FINE (1).

conusant (kon-ya-zant), adj. (Of a person) having cognizance or knowledge. See COGNIZANCE.

conusee (kon-ya-zee). See COGNIZEE.

conusor (kon-ya-zar or -zor). See COGNIZOR.

convene 1. To call together; to cause to assemble. 2. Eccles. law. To summon to respond to an action. See CONVENTIO (1). "When the defendant was brought to answer, he was said to be convened, which the canonists called conventio, because the plaintiff and defendant met to contest." 1 John Bouvier, Bouvier's Law Dictionary 668 (8th ed. 1914). 3. Civil law. To bring an action.

convenience account An apparent joint account, but without right of survivorship, established by a creator to enable another person to withdraw funds at the creator's direction or for the creator's benefit. Unlike a true joint account, only one person, the creator, has an ownership interest in the depOSited funds. Convenience accounts are often established by those who need a financial manager's help and want to make it easy for the manager to pay bills. Although the manager's name is on the account, he or she does not contribute any personal funds to the account and can write checks or make withdrawals only at the direction of or on behalf of the creator.

convenience account- See ACCOUNT.

convening authority Military law. An officer (usu. a commanding officer) with the power to convene, or who has convened, a court-martial.

convening order An instrument that creates a court-martial. The convening order specifies (1) the type ofcourt-martial and its time and place, (2) the names of the members and the trial and defense counsel, (3) the name of the military judge, if one has been detailed, and (4) if necessary, the authority by which the court-martial has been convened.

conventicle (bn-ven-ta-kal). [fr. Latin conventiculum "small assembly"] 1. An assembly of a clandestine or unlawful character. 2. An assembly for religious worship; esp., a secret meeting for worship not sanctioned by law. 3. A place where such meetings are held.

conventio (kan-ven-shee-oh). [fr. Latin convenire "to come together"] 1. Eccles. law. The act of convening the parties to an action by summoning the defendant. 2. Hist. An agreement or convention; an agreement between two or more persons respecting a legal relation between them. See CONVENTION (1). "Conventio is a word much used both in Ancient and Modern Law·pleadings, for an Agreement or Covenant." Thomas Blount, Nomo-Lexicon: A Law-Dictionary(1670).

convention 1. An agreement or compact, esp. one among nations; a multilateral treaty <the Geneva Convention>. See TREATY. 2. A special deliberative assembly elected for the purpose of framing, revising, or amending a constitution. - Also termed constitutional convention. See CONSTITUTION (1). 3. An assembly or meeting of members belonging to an organization or having a common objective <an ABA convention>. - Also termed conference. 4. Parliamentary law. A deliberative assembly that consists of delegates elected or appointed from subordinate or constituent organizations within a state or national organization, or elected directly from the organization's membership or from defined geographic or other constituencies into which the membership is grouped, and that usu. exercises the organization's highest policymaking authority <a national political convention>. Also termed assembly; congress; convocation; delegate assembly; general assembly. See HOUSE OF DELEGATES. 5. Parliamentary law. A session of a convention (sense 4), consisting of a series of consecutive meetings separated by short recesses or adjournments, often during a convention (sense 3) that includes educational and social programs for the benefit of delegates and other members. 6. A generally accepted rule or practice; usage or custom <the court dispensed with the convention of having counsel approach the bench>.

Convention application See PATENT APPLICATION.

Convention application. A patent application filed in accordance with the terms of an international patent treaty such as the Paris Convention or the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

convention for the european patent for the common market See COMMUNITY PATENT CONVENTION.

convention for the protection of performers, producers See ROME CONVENTION ON RELATED RIGHTS.

convention for the Protection of producers of phono See GENEVA PHONOGRAMS CONVENTION.

convention on the grant of european patent See EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION.

convention relating to the distribution of program See BRUSSELS SATELLITE CONVENTION.

conventional 1. Customary; orthodox; traditional <conventional motion practice>. 2. Depending on, or arising from, the agreement of the parties, as distinguished from something arising by law <conventional subrogation>. 3. Arising by treaty or convention <conventional international law>.

conventional remission A remission expressly granted to a debtor by a creditor having capacity to alienate. La. Civ. Code art. IS40.

conventional custom See CUSTOM.

conventional custom- A custom that operates only indirectly through the medium of agreements, so that it is accepted and adopted in individual instances as conventional law between the parties to those agreements. - Also termed usage. See USAGE.

conventional interest See INTEREST (3).

conventional interest Interest at a rate agreed to by the parties themselves, as distinguished from that prescribed by law. Cf. interest as damages.

conventional law See CONVENTIONAL LAW.

conventional lien See LIEN.

conventional loan See conventional mortgage under MORTGAGE.

conventional mortgage See MORTGAGE.

conventional obligation An obligation that results from agreement of the parties; a contractual obligation. Also termed express obligation; civil obligation. Cf. obediential obligation.

conventional obligation See OBLIGATION.

conventional remission See REMISSION.

conventional sequestration See SEQlJESTRATION.

conventional sequestration The parties voluntary deposit of the property at issue in a lawsuit.

conventional servitude A servitude established by agreement or through acquisitive prescription.

conventional servitude See SERVITlJDE (2).

conventional subrogation See SUBROGATION.

conventional subrogation Subrogation that arises by contract or by an express act of the parties.

conventionalism A jurisprudential conception of legal practice and tradition holding that law is a matter of respecting and enforcing legal and social rules. "Conventionalism makes two postinterpretive, directive claims. The first is positive: that judges must respect the established legal conventions of their community except in rare circumstances, It insists, in other words, that they must treat as law what convention stipulates as law. Since convention in Britain establishes that acts of Parliament are law, a British judge must enforce even acts of Parliament he considers unfair or unwise, This positive part of conventionalism most plainly corresponds to the popular slogan that judges should follow the law and not make new law in its place. The second claim, which is at least equally important, is negative_ It declares that there is no law no right flowing from past political decisions - apart from the law drawn from those decisions by techniques that are themselves matters of convention, and therefore that on some issues there is no law either way." Ronald Dworkin, Law's Empire 116 (1986),

conventionallaw A rule or system of rules agreed on by persons for the regulation oftheir conduct toward one another; law constituted by agreement as having the force of special law between the parties, by either supplementing or replacing the general law of the land, The most important example is conventional international law, but there are many lesser examples such as rules and regulations of a country club or professional association, or the rules of golf, basketball, or any other game. - Also termed (in international law) treaty-made law; treaty-created law; treaty law. See CONVENTION (1).

conventione (kan-ven-shee-oh-nee). [Latin] Rist. A writ for the breach of a written covenant. This writ was often used when parties wished to convey land by fine. Also termed writ ofcovenant. See FINE (1).

conventus (kan-ven-tas), n. [Latin] 1. An assembly. Conventus magnatum vel procerum ("the assembly of the nobles") was an ancient name for Parliament. 2. CONVENTUS JURIDICUS. PL conventus.

conventus juridicus (kan-ven-tas juu-rid-i-as). [Latin "judicial assembly"] Roman law. A court session held by a provincial governor in the leading cities of the province. Sometimes shortened to conventus.

converse-erie doctrine See REVERSE-ERIE DOCTRINE.

conversion 1. The act of changing from one form to another; the process of being exchanged.

conversion by detention Conversion by detaining property in a way that is adverse to the owner or other lawful possessor. The mere possession of property without title is not conversion. The defendant must have shown an intention to keep it in defiance of the owner or lawful possessor.

conversion by estoppel A judicial determination that a conversion has taken place - though in truth one has not - because a defendant is estopped from offering a defense. This occurs, for example, under the traditional rule that a bailee is estopped from denying the bailor's title even if the bailor has no title to the chattel.

conversion by taking Conversion by taking a chattel out of the possession of another with the intention of exercising a permanent or temporary dominion over it, despite the owner's entitlement to use it at all times.

conversion by wrongful delivery Conversion by depriving an owner of goods by delivering them to someone else so as to change the possession.

conversion by wrongful destruction Conversion by willfully consuming or otherwise destroying a chattel belonging to another person.

conversion by wrongful disposition Conversion by depriving an owner of goods by giving some other person a lawful title to them.

conversion divorce See DIVORCE.

conversion divorce- A divorce granted after (1) a legal separation has been granted or the parties have signed a separation agreement, and (2) the parties have lived separately for a statutorily prescribed period. Also termed convertible divorce; conditional divorce.

conversion premium The surplus at which a security sells above its conversion price.

conversion price Securities.lhe contractually specified price per share at which a convertible security can be converted into shares of common stock.

conversion ratio 1. The number of common shares into which a convertible security may be converted. 2. The ratio of the face amount of the convertible security to the conversion price.

conversion rule See SPECIFIC-PURPOSE RULE.

conversion security See SECURITY.

conversion security The security into which a convertible security may be converted, usu. common stock.

conversion statute A law under which a state official or court oversees the sale or transfer of control of an organization in order to protect public assets.

conversion value A convertible security's value as common stock. For example, a bond that can be converted into ten shares of stock worth $40 each has a conversion value of $400. See BOND CONVERSION.

conversionary act An act that, unless privileged, makes the actor liable for conversion.

conversionary act- See ACT.

converter One who wrongfully possesses or disposes of another's property; esp., one who engages in a series of acts of willful interference, without lawful justification, with an item of property in a manner inconsistent with another's right, whereby that other person is deprived of the use and possession of the property.

convertible debenture A debenture that the holder may change or convert into some other security, such as stock.

convertible arbitrage See kind arbitrage.

convertible arbitrage- See kind arbitrage under ARBITRAGE.

convertible bond A bond that can be exchanged for stock shares in the corporation that issued the bond.

convertible bond- See BOND (3).

convertible collision insurance See INSURANCE.

convertible collision insurance Collision insurance that carries a low premium until a claim is made against the policy.

convertible debenture See DEBENTURE.

convertible debt 1. See DEBT. 2. See convertible security under SECURITY.

convertible debt- A debt whose security may be changed by a creditor into another form of security.

convertible divorce See conversion divorce under DIVORCE.

convertible insurance See INSURANCE.

convertible insurance Insurance that can be changed to another form without further evidence of insurability, usu. referring to a term-life-insurance policy that can be changed to permanent insurance without a medical examination.

convertible security A security (usu. a bond or preferred stock) that may be exchanged by the owner for another security, esp. common stock from the same company, and usu. at a fixed price on a specified date. Also termed (specif.) convertible debt; convertible stock.

convertible security See SECURITY.

convertible stock See convertible security under SECURITY.

convertible stock See convertible security under SECURITY.

convertible subordinated debenture See DEBENTURE.

convertible subordinated debenture- A debenture that is subordinate to another debt but can be converted into a different security.

convey To transfer or deliver (something, such as a right or property) to another, esp. by deed or other writing; esp., to perform an act that is intended to create one or more property interests, regardless of whether the act is actually effective to create those interests.

conveyance (kan-vay-ants), n. 1. The voluntary transfer of a right or of property.

conveyancer (kan-vay-an-sar). A lawyer who specializes in real-estate transactions. In England, a conveyancer is a solicitor or licensed conveyancer who examines title to real estate, prepares deeds and mortgages, and performs other functions relating to the transter of real property.

conveyancing (kan-vay-an-sing). The act or business of drafting and preparing legal instruments, esp. those (such as deeds or leases) that transfer an interest in real property. "Conveyancing is the art or science of preparing documents and investigating title in connection with the creation and assurance of interests in land. Despite its connection with the word 'conveyance', the term in practice is not limited to use in connection with old system title but is used without discrimination in the context of all types of title." Peter Butt, Land Law 7 (2d ed. 1988). "Conveyancing may be regarded as the application of the law of real property in practice." Robert E. Megarry & M.P. Thompson, A Manual of the Law of Real Property 125 (6th ed.1993).

conveyancing counsel English law. Three to six lawyers who are appointed by the Lord Chancellor to assist the High Court of Justice with opinions in matters of property titles and conveyancing. Also termed conveyancing counsel ofthe Supreme Court; (formerly) conveyancing counsel to the Court of Chancery.

conveyee (kan-vay-ee). One to whom property is conveyed.

conveyor (kan-vay-ar or -or). One who transfers or delivers title to another.

conviciandi animo (kan-vish-ee-an-dI an-a-moh). [Latin] Hist. With the intention of insulting; with the intention of bringing into contempt.

convicium (kan-vish-ee-am), n. [Latin] Roman law. Reproach, abuse, revilement, or clamor directed at a person.

convict (kon-vikt), n. A person who has been found guilty of a crime and is serving a sentence of confinement for that crime; a prison inmate.

convict- (kan-vikt), vb. To find (a person) guilty of a criminal offense upon a criminal trial, a plea ofguilty, or a plea of nolo contendere (no contest).

convicted felon See FELON.

conviction (kan-vik-shan), n. 1. The act or process of judicially finding someone guilty of a crime; the state of having been proved guilty. 2. The judgment (as by a jury verdict) that a person is guilty of a crime. 3. A strong belief or opinion.

conviction rate Within a given area or for a given time, the number of convictions (including plea bargains) as a percentage of the total number of prosecutions undertaken.