Those books that encourage lawyers to use plain language seem to be helping but there are still words remote from common knowledge that judges and lawyer insist on using. Here are some examples with my initial impression of them followed by what they really mean.
Dispositive: not positive
Legalese meaning: adj. when an object or fact is enough in itself to prove the whole argument
Res ipsa: closest laymen pronounciation "Ray's a hipsta!"
Legalese meaning: usually res ipsa loquitur, "the thing speaks for itself" in Latin, a type of negligence claim
Intestate: some really unhappy intestines
Legalese meaning: "adj. referring to a situation where a person dies without leaving a valid will. This usually is voiced as 'he died intestate,' 'intestate estate,' or 'intestate succession.'" from Law.com's Dictionary
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