Editorial Review

Arguably the most valuable reference tool available to the legal community, Black's Pocket Dictionary provides more than 10,000 clear, concise, and precise definitions. The essential companion dictionary to the Standard edition and as a stand-alone tool, Black's Pocket Dictionary also includes a dictionary guide and the complete U.S. Constitution. Black's is cited more than any other legal dictionary, comes recommended by law faculty, and is available in the pocket format and a variety of other useful editions. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For more than a century Black's has been the gold standard for the language of law. Today it is the most widely cited law book in the world. Edited by Bryan A. Garner, the world s leading legal lexicographer, the 9th Edition is the most authoritative, comprehensive law dictionary ever published. It contains more than 45,000 terms and includes: 2,000 more terms than the 8th Edition and 19,000 more than the 7th Edition including click fraud, Code Adam, collaborative law, ecoterrorism, environmental tort, friendly subpoena, happy-slapping, honor crime, secret detention, Schumer box, and super precedent. The date when selected terms were first used in English-language contexts, especially in judicial opinions. Heightened accuracy having more than 200 lawyers around the country reviewed terms. Definitions of more than 1,000 law-related abbreviations and acronyms. Almost 3,000 quotations drawn from sources over five centuries. Alternate spellings or equivalent expressions for more than 5,300 terms and West Key Numbers. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Good legal writing wins court cases. In its first edition, The Winning Brief proved that the key to writing well is understanding the judicial readership. Now, in a revised and updated version of this modern classic, Bryan A. Garner explains the art of effective writing in 100 concise, practical, and easy-to-use sections. Covering everything from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words, these tips add up to the most compelling, orderly, and visually appealing brief that an advocate can present. In Garner's view, good writing is good thinking put to paper. 'Never write a sentence that you couldn't easily speak,' he warns-and demonstrates how to do just that. Beginning each tip with a set of quotable quotes from experts, he then gives masterly advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words ('Strike pursuant to from your vocabulary.'), quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks as impressive as it reads. Throughout, he shows how to edit for maximal impact, using vivid before-and-after examples that apply the basics of rhetoric to persuasive writing. Filled with examples of good and bad writing from actual briefs filed in courts of all types, The Winning Brief also covers the new appellate rules for preparing federal briefs. Constantly collecting material from his seminars and polling judges for their preferences, the second edition delivers the same solid guidelines with even more supporting evidence. Including for the first time sections on the ever-changing rules of acceptable legal writing, Garner's new edition keeps even the most seasoned lawyers on their toes and writing briefs that win cases. An invaluable resource for attorneys, law clerks, judges, paralegals, law students and their teachers, The Winning Brief has the qualities that make all of Garner's books so popular: authority, accessibility, and page after page of techniques that work. If you're writing to win a case, this book shouldn't merely be on your shelf--it should be open on your desk. ... Read more

Reviews

A must-have for practitioners, November 18, 2004
I became familiar with this book in law school and it has helped me tremendously. It debunks the myths about which practices are truly expected in briefs and which provide more latitude and freedom for legal writers.

The information is presented in 100 easy-to-understand "tips." Each tip provides quotes from judges, legal scholars, and other literary figures who help to explain why a particular facet of writing is important. Garner also includes examples, oftentimes what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's.

The format of the book makes it easy and helpful to use and the information is invaluable. It's like an advanced course in legal writing.

Highly recommended!

Clear Writing is Persuasive Writing, January 9, 2007
The Winning Brief is essential reading for any lawyer who cares about writing clearly and persuasively. As a litigation partner and trial lawyer, I am always looking to improve my own skills and find that Bryan Garner's comments are clear and practical. I strongly recommend The Winning Brief because it goes well beyond many texts that discuss generalisms on trial and appellate briefs--Mr. Garner provides instead direct insight into how to move the trier of fact.

Kindle Format Not Well-Suited for Reference Style, November 4, 2008
This is a great book, filled with great advice, from a great legal writing professional. Unfortunately, the Kindle version of this book fails to earn similar praise. There is no "master" list of the 100 tips to quickly browse. The examples, in image format, are hard to read--if not impossible on the small screen. There's no quick-flipping to the tips you want--a problem inherent to the Kindle format. So while the book and its content may be wonderful, if not essential, the Kindle format guts its value. Not bad for reading on the train, but useless when you're writing a brief at your desk.

Buy this while you are in law school, January 30, 2007
This is the only guide you will ever need to writing good briefs. Garner teaches you to write powerfully in plain English. Be a better lawyer and work with this book!

Helpful quick refernce, October 18, 2007
I am currently a law student, this book provides some insightful ideas and is useful because it doesn't require an hour of reading to pick out helpful relevant tips. All the 100 tips are outlined in the front and back cover so you can skim for something specific and go to it and read it.

The author of this book is highly respected and provides many CLE classes, I recommend this book to anyone looking for ways to improve their brief writing.

The best book on writing PERIOD, September 11, 2007
I've read a lot of books on writing, and all of the common books about legal writing, and this is the best of the bunch. If I had to recommend a single book about writing to anyone, lawyer or not, I would recommend this one. It is expensive but worth every penny. Throw away your Strunk and White!

Solid, real-world advice, September 9, 2009
I am a practicing trial lawyer in a small town. This book is the best legal writing book I have encountered. Garner challenges many of the "white elephants" that practitioners and law professors alike cling to. (For example, the myth about ending a sentence with a preposition). His advice ranges from small grammar rules, to sentence structure, to the overall strategy in formulating briefs and arguments.

From my real world experience, I can tell you that Garner's advice is right on the money and will assist you in winning cases. On multiple occasions over the years, I have had different judges compliment my briefing, but the credit goes to the techniques I learned from Garner. I give this book my highest recommendation. If you can, also take Garner's CLE class that is centered on this same book.

Uncommonly Good Advice, August 4, 2009
Yes, another by Garner, and this one is as wonderful, diverse and as instructional as his others, but in specific ways related to English drafting and argumentation in the context of litigation. Therefore, I have to say, this is the boutique book for the litigator who wants to improve his or her English (...that is, if there are some few of you out there who share those usually mutually-exclusive characteristics). The first 50 tips are listed inside the front cover, and the last 50 are inside the back cover, making it a good ready-reference. The meat is, thankfully, between the covers, and in usefully sweet doses: each tip is introduced by 'quotable quotes,' and includes an explanation and applications. Tips are particularized in other ways that endear me to this volume, including subtitles such as "Two Qualms Answered," "Uncommonly Good Examples," "Egregious Examples," etcetera. You get the drift: now, how can you resist it? I would like to suggest that this is the book for both every good litigator...and every good armchair litigator and lover of legal English. So ... Enjoy! Across the board, this was the most 'fun' book to read of the legal English books I set out to review. I note also that its substantive and universal logic and consistency will cross cultures without much difficulty.

Excellent Legal Writing Book, November 2, 2008
Love this book and the author's other books. Must have for all legal professionals who do research and writing in any form.

Outstanding, July 21, 2008
A must read for every serious law student and attorney - even if you are an experienced brief writer, this easy to understand book, filled withe clear examples forces you to think and improve your persuasive writing. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Updated to include new terms such as "civil union" and to incorporate recent changes in laws and judicial interpretations, this handy dictionary cuts through the complexities of legal jargon and presents definitions and explanations that can be understood by non-lawyers. Approximately 2,500 terms are given with definitions and explanations for the benefit of consumers, business proprietors, legal beneficiaries, investors, property owners, litigants, and all others who have dealings with the law. Terms are arranged alphabetically from Abandonment and Abatable Nuisance, all the way through to Writ, Yellow Dog Contract, and Zoning. ... Read more

Reviews

Legal Terms, April 30, 2000
This book is a must for those with no legal background, but don't want to be intimidated by legal "jargon." I found it an easy reference guide to common and not so common legal words used every day. I work in a courtroom, and found the book helpful in understanding the judicial process.

Legal Terms Defined in Everyday Language, September 2, 2001
This book defines legal terms in easily understood English. In some cases, it gives an example of a situation to which the legal term might apply in order to help illustrate the meaning. It would be a very useful addition to anyone's reference library.

Good enough for me, January 21, 2006
Barron's "Dictionary of Legal Terms" is a solid text. When I asked a law friend of mine which law dictionary I should purchase he told me that "Black's" was the best law dictionary out there. However, it is rather expensive at eighty or so dollars. Even the pocket version of the text is at least twenty dollars. So I sprang for this law dictionary at about eight dollars.

I was quite impressed and quite educated by the Barron's work. It was informative and complete, yet simple enough for a non-law student to understand. At my local bookstore I compared the Barron's dictionary with some others and found this one more to my liking because it provides examples for certain definitions; something the other texts did not.

The only reason that I did not give this 5 stars is that it is not as complete as some of the other books that I looked at. This version has "more than 2500 legal terms" and the other books were all about 3000. However, I have not yet come across a word or jargon that I was unable to find in this book so I am not sure what the other 500+ words or phrases are.

Solid book. Highly recommended.

I love this dictionary!, July 20, 2004
I bought this dictionary 4 years ago and since then it has been invaluable to me in getting through law school and the bar exam. My copy is so tattered and worn out, I'm thinking of buying a new one to replace it. I highly recommend it over Black's and others that have traditionally been regarded essential for law students and lawyers. Too often with the other legal dictionaries, you look up a word, and then to understand the given definition you end up having to look up additional words. Not so with this book--it lays out legal definitions in the most simple and straightforward manner possible. For many terms, it even gives short hypotheticals to illustrate the term in its proper context.

Even though it's titled "For Non-Lawyers" I highly recommend this book to law students, lawyers, paralegals, and anyone else who might appreciate legal jargon explained in an easily understandable way.

Way too general, May 14, 2003
This dictionary may be good for the layman, but it is far too general for a law student or lawyer. Only the most common legal words are included, so most of the words are familiar to lawyers. Those words that are obscure enough to require a dictionary are not included. I would recommend this dictionary to a layman who wants to understand simple legal terms, but not to a lawyer or law student.

Dictionary of Legal terms, March 17, 2009
I am a new CASA/ Guardian Ad Litem for the court system. Of course, they use a lot of "legalease" that most lay people have no clue to what a judge, lawyer or court orders are saying. This book is wriiten for the lay person and I have already "burnt" up the pages so to speak. It is a wonderful book for anyone.

Good general reference item, January 20, 2009
I'm an airport manager who reviews and signs countless legal documents. This book is an easy method to look up some of the more obscure terms. I especially found the definition/explanation of Latin terms helpful. I think most lay persons will have occasional need to refer to this book in the course of life today.

great reference, November 13, 2009
This dictionary is great. It is very accessible and has many words that no law school student or lawyer can understand. Provides examples and makes its fun to just pick up and read and learn something new. for the price compared to blacks dictionary this is a great substitute and a great bargain.

Perfect for everyone, September 12, 2005
Legal terms presented in a way that can be understood by all. Very helpful information in section-"KEY TO EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS DICTIONARY" ... Read more

Editorial Review

Garner's Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage gives authoritative guidance on all the vexing questions that legal writers face, from correcting grammatical errors to framing legal issues to distinguishing between similar but distinct legal terms. With great detail and care, Garner explains what legalese is, how it can be simplified, and how far legal writers can go in simplifying it. The topics are alphabetically arranged for ease of reference: simply look up any phrase or grammatical category you're interested in, and you're likely to find the final word on the subject. Shortly after the completion of this massively expanded second edition, the late Charles Alan Wright said: "The first edition of this book has been praised around the world as both the most reliable guide to legal usage and the most fascinating to read. The second edition outdoes even its predecessor." ... Read more

Editorial Review

Includes 7,000 entries for the legal terms most likely to be encountered in every day situations: drafting a will, signing a contract, entering into litigation, and more. Quotes and examples of words are used in context to demonstrate usage. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Prepared by the acclaimed legal lexicographer Bryan A. Garner, the ninth edition of Black s Law Dictionary is a major advancement for the world s most-cited lawbook. The update was reviewed by a panel of 225 legal practitioners from across the country, as well as 65 renowned law professors. This edition features 20% more content than the abridged eighth edition, with emphasis on emerging fields of law, incorporating new legal terms from ableism, bear hug, and click fraud to X-patent, yank-cheating, and zygote intrafallopian transfer. Parts of speech, etymology, and pronunciation are provided where appropriate, plus dozens of subject and usage labels. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This Spanish-English/English-Spanish Pocket Legal Dictionary is the perfect portable reference for anyone who needs legal terms at their fingertips. It is designed to help anyone who needs to communicate in real-life situations where it is vital to quickly find a legal term or phrase.

Convenient and easy-to-use, this dictionary includes the current terms and concepts relevant to everyday legal situations. Divided by topic for easy reference, users will be sure to quickly find the right word.

Topics include: General and Procedural Terms, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Health Care Law, Housing Law, Traffic Law, and Immigration Law.

• The only Spanish pocket legal dictionary available.
• Perfect for professionals who work with Spanish speakers, including interpreters and translators, police, customs, and social services
• 6,000 entries: small but comprehensive

Editorial Review

McGraw-Hill's Spanish and English Legal Dictionary defines hundreds of words in business law, civil and criminal law, contracts and torts, constitutional law, family law, labor law, liability, probate, property law, and international trade agreements.

One feature that distinguishes this fully bilingual dictionary from the competition is its extensive collection of encyclopedic entries, including citations of judgments, torts and contracts, swell as civil, penal and commercial codes from the United States, Spain, and Spanish-speaking nations worldwide. It also features dozens of side-by-side sample claims, invoices, another legal documents. ... Read more

Reviews

Interesting but out of date and missing many key terms, May 27, 2006
Of the numerous Spanish<>English legal dictionaries I use regularly, this is consistently the one least likely to include the terms I need. I suspect it's partly because this is an abridged edition, and partly because the sources that the author(s) cite include very few publications that are even remotely recent. Another problem: the entries generally provide narrative explanations rather than functionally equivalent terms. The explanations are cogent, clear, interesting, and often establish differences in meaning between different countries. However, this approach is not helpful if you're a translator trying to figure out the best English-language equivalent for a Spanish legal term or vice versa.

Diccionario Juridico ABREVIADO pero muy importante., August 16, 2005
Este es un diccionario que se disfruta mucho leer o ojear, siempre hay algo nuevo por aprender o algo viejo que recordar, es f�cil de usar por su �ndice tem�tico y las abreviaciones al final de cada palabra, si tienes dudas por alguna definici�n del sistema jur�dico Anglo-Saj�n tal ves aqu� lo puedas encontrar, al igual que si necesitas traducir alg�n documento legal el diccionario te puede ayudar y facilitar la definici�n.

Casi todos los pa�ses de Am�rica Latina esta incluidos con alguna sentencia o ley importante(Nicaragua, M�xico, Guatemala), al igual que pa�ses como Espa�a y EU. Las definiciones est�n muy bien explicadas de forma clara y breve as� que si necesitas profundizar mas tendr�s que buscar en otro diccionario, pero lo mas importante lo puedes encontrar aqu� y a un buen precio, este diccionario es una muy buena inversi�n, definitivamente una buena adquisici�n para todos los que nos movemos en el mundo Jur�dico.

Los precios de otros diccionarios son muy altos y esto se debe a que profundizan mas en algunos temas(Derecho Procesal, Laboral, Inmigraci�n etc), son en varios tomos, tienen una bibliograf�a mas extensa(notaran que este solo menciona lo esencial) y este para ser un diccionario ABREVIADO tiene muchas definiciones importantes de Derecho Internacional, Penal, Laboral, Civil, Filosof�a, Familia, Obligaciones, Contratos y Ambiental.

Si eres estudiante de Derecho este diccionario te ayudara mucho, si deseas profundizar mas te recomiendo del mismo autor Dahl's Law Dictionary, otro diccionario muy �til es el del autor Espa�ol Enrique Alcaraz Varo. En ingles el libro de Jay M. Feinman "Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the American Legal System" es una muy buena introduccion al sistema Legal de EU, ademas del diccionario "Black's Law Dictionary" y en Espa�ol los diccionarios de Guillermo Cabanellas de Torres.

Rough & Ready Translation, October 23, 2005
I am a prosecutor, and I needed a dictionary to help translate the basic legal terms that are necessary to explain a guilty plea to criminal defendants. For my purposes the dictionary has been helpful. The dictionary enables me to find some word that will be close enough to my intended meaning to enable the defendant to follow. It is a handsome hard cover volume.

However, it doesn't have the kind of detail that you might want to explain to clients of different cultural backgrounds the more subtle differences between legal expressions. As one somewhat trivial example that comes to mind, we use the word audiencia for hearing. This dictionary also has the word vista for hearing, but it gives no insight into the difference between the two words -- when you would want to use one rather than the other. So, I just use audiencia because that's what our local translators use, and I trust them.

For simple translations, this dictionary is a great value, and I am very happy to have it. I am not skilled enough in spanish to be able to explain subtle differences in meaning -- or for that matter to write a review in spanish, so I don't find the lack of detail to be a problem. If you want detail, you won't find it here.

Diccionario Juridico not what I hoped for, May 9, 2006
As a US immigration lawyer, I was pretty disappointed with this dictionary. It had few of the terms I looked for.

Poor product., December 2, 2008
Disappointing. I made the mistake of buying it. Don't make that mistake yourself. Some entries are flat out wrong. Coverage is uneven: important terms ignored or shortchanged, other obscure terms given much space, but only covering one jurisdiction. It's obvious that little work or thought went into the book. It's merely an attempt to profit on a hole in the market. Will someone please prepare a good one.

Semi Helpful, April 11, 2005
The dictionary help me somewhat. However, it only has, in my opinion, about 60% of the legal terms I sought. I hope there is a better dictionary out there!

McGraw-Hill's Spanish and English Legal Dictionary : Diccionario Juridico Ingles-Espanol, December 6, 2008
Compre este diccionario para regalarlo a mi esposo quien es abogado. El qued� realmente fel�z, le parecio de muy buen contenido y f�cil consulta.

Great tool for translators, April 4, 2006
I am a translator and also and interpreter, and I have found that this is a great dictionary for my translations, althought I must say, that sometimes the explanations can be somewhat confusing, but I still think that is a very good dictionary in general. Just one thing.. I think the authors did miss a few words.

Comprehensive and Complete, November 5, 2006
This dictionary is well written and comprehensive. An excellent resource for judicial spanish/english translators. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The first title in the Black's Handbook Series, this handbook includes the most common key words and phrases with accurate and clear definitions.An essential guide to legal literacy for students, journalists, businesspeople, politicians--anyone who wants to be an informed citizen. This handbook includes accurate, brief, clear definitions to over 1,000 key legal words and phrases. Helpful extras include the full U.S. Constitution and lists of basic law books. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Updated to reflect recent modifications in federal and state law, this book is a quick-reference source for lawyers, law students, legal professionals, and interested laypersons. The author defines more than 5,000 legal terms, using nontechnical language that remains legally accurate. Terms are documented with citations and apply to civil procedure, commercial and contract law, constitutional law, criminal law, property law, and torts. This title is also available in a smaller trim-size and type-size "mass market" edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Oran's Dictionary of the Law, Fourth Edition, is the easiest to use introduction to legal terminology and concepts on the market. It contains clear definitions of the words that most paralegals, paralegal students, and persons in related fields need to know. The book gives the reader the core of each legal idea and helps them understand the American legal system as well as how to approach research tasks. The book precisely explains contracts, laws, court decisions, and lawyers.This new fourth edition includes a CD-ROM that contains all terms and definitions in the book and over a thousand new and revised definitions.It also includes an updated section on computerized legal research and overhauled sections on bankruptcy, intellectual property, litigation support, national security and other rapidly changing subject areas. Oran's Dictionary of the Law will leave the reader equipped with a precise, technical, legal vocabulary. ... Read more

Editorial Review

An integration of Ballentine's Law Dictionary-Legal Assistant Edition and Ballentine's Thesaurus for Legal Research and Writing it includes correct understanding and use of legal terms, pronunciation, synonyms, antonyms and parts of speech.Key words are presented alphabetically for easy access while"see and compare" cross references direct users to related entries. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A quick-reference source for lawyers, law students, legal professionals, and the interested layperson, this book defines more than 3,000 legal terms in non-technical language, but without sacrificing legal accuracy. Terms apply to civil procedure, commercial and contract law, constitutional law, criminal law, property law, and torts. This title is also available in a smaller “mass market” edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Updated to reflect recent modifications in federal and state law, this book is a quick-reference source for lawyers, law students, legal professionals, and interested laypersons. The author defines more than 5,000 legal terms, using nontechnical language that remains legally accurate. Terms are documented with citations and apply to civil procedure, commercial and contract law, constitutional law, criminal law, property law, and torts. This is a "mass-market-size" paperback. This Law Dictionary is also available from Barron's in a trade edition that features larger pages with large type. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Hailed in its first edition as an “outstanding work, as stimulating as it is intellectually distinguished” (New York Times), Law and Literature has handily lived up to the Washington Post’s prediction that the book would “remain essential reading for many years to come.” This third edition, extensively revised and enlarged, is the only comprehensive book-length treatment of the field. It continues to emphasize the essential differences between law and literature, which are rooted in the different social functions of legal and literary texts. But it also explores areas of mutual illumination and expands its range to include new topics such as the cruel and unusual punishments clause of the Constitution, illegal immigration, surveillance, global warming and bioterrorism, and plagiarism.

In this edition, literary works from classics by Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, Dostoevsky, Melville, Kafka, and Camus to contemporary fiction by Tom Wolfe, Margaret Atwood, John Grisham, and Joyce Carol Oates come under Richard Posner’s scrutiny, as does the film The Matrix.

The book remains the most clear, acute account of the intersection of law and literature.

Editorial Review

A highly portable condensed version of Oran's Dictionary of the Law, that contains all the core legal words common to introductory law and paralegal courses. It is also a good self-contained way to learn about key legal concepts, starting with the "Basic 50 Words" list. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This updated 6th edition of the Dictionary of Criminal Justice brings together, in one, easy-to-use guide, more than 3,600 definitions from the many disciplines that compose the field of criminal justice--including U.S. and English common law, penology, psychology, law enforcement, political science, and business administration. This volume also features summaries of nearly 1,000 key U.S. Supreme Court rulings affecting criminal justice. An appendix of juried academic journals is included, and a new compilation of Web sites in the field. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This dictionary of legal terms looks to the plain-English meaning of all the words lawyers, judges and anyone else involved in our legal system feel compelled to use. It provides a humorous resource into this archaic and convoluted language and is sure to make anyone you know in the legal profession laugh out loud at its accurate absurdity. In The Dictionary of Legal Bullshit, you will find the definition of such words as:

Bankrupt. The state of being that one attains when the government sticks your creditors with the bill for your extravagant expenditures.

Jail. Exclusive public housing with lousy neighbors, no view, poor facilities and one of the highest cost per square foot of any living space ever built; but with slightly less violence and fewer drug dealers than the public housing that is available to the populous at large.

Plus, find key Latin translations, like:
Res ipsa loquitor. Duh.

Res judicata. You lost, get over it.

Respondeat superior. Sue the one with the most money. ... Read more