How many letters does the top answer for “(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked” have?

The most common answer is proceeding (10 letters).

Crossword clue: (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

2 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

proceeding 10 letters wn-def

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

proceedings 11 letters wn-def

(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked