Jurist

This word is from the 29 October 2006 New York Times Magazine's feature, entitled "Islam and the Bomb" by Noah Feldman (print; not yet online). This week's issue is particularly good because, in addition to the article that I cite (below), it also contains a piece about the Taliban, several articles about bipolar disorder, an interview with a psychiatrist about depression and an piece about Alzheimer's disease.

Jurist (JOOR-ist) [French juriste from Medieval Latin jurista, from Latin jur- jus law]

n.

  1. a legal scholar versed in civil law or the law of nations.
  2. a public official authorized to decide questions bought before a court of justice.

Usage: The great theologian and jurist al-Ghazali, who wrote in the 11th and 12th centuries and was widely noted for his revival of religious piety and his skepticism of secular philosophy, dealt with the problem of human shields.

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