The space within an enclosure in front of buildings such as cathedrals or large churches. Parvis is a French word, a corruption of the Latin paradisus = paradise or an enclosed garden. There was a parvis at *St Paul's Cathedral in London and it was there in the 14c that lawyers met for talk, disputation and consultation. -
Cf. Serjeant-at-law
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.