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do you capitalize "prosecution" and "defense" [ie. prosecution will argue..]

Since defendant and plaintiff aren't usually (in my limited 1L experience) capitalized, I don't think prosecution or defense would need caps either.

Check out the Texas Style Manual for such questions- it's a complete guide to things like capitalization and whether you spell out numbers.

nealric wrote:Check out the Texas Style Manual for such questions- it's a complete guide to things like capitalization and whether you spell out numbers.

dont have access at the moment...just hoping for a quick [confirmed] response so i can finish up this memo

goosey wrote:

nealric wrote:Check out the Texas Style Manual for such questions- it's a complete guide to things like capitalization and whether you spell out numbers.

dont have access at the moment...just hoping for a quick [confirmed] response so i can finish up this memo

If you're using it as a proper noun, you can (and probably should) capitalize it (e.g. Plaintiff is a citizen of the United States/Prosecution will seek the death penalty). If you have an article before it (The plaintiff is a citizen/The prosecution will seek...), you don't capitalize it. I think professors generally prefer that you use the article and refrain from using it as a proper noun though (i.e. generally use the second example). Hope that helps. (I don't think I'm wrong, but someone feel free to correct me if I am).

great, thanks!!