One of the best legal books I ever purchased is Black’s Law Dictionary, an American law dictionary. It was founded by Henry Campbell Black. It has been cited as legal authority in many Supreme Court cases. The latest editions, including abridged and pocket versions, are useful starting points for the layman or student when faced with an unfamiliar legal word. It is the reference of choice for definitions in legal briefs and court opinions.
The first edition was published in 1891, and the second edition in 1910 — long before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary — was completed in 1928. The sixth and earlier editions of the book also provided case citations for term cited, which some lawyers view as its most useful feature, providing a useful starting point with leading cases. The Internet made legal research easier than it ever had been, so many state- or circuit-specific case citations and outdated or overruled case citations were dropped from the seventh edition 1999. The eighth edition introduced a unique system of perpetually updated case citations and cross-references to legal encyclopedias.
Because many legal terms are derived from a Latin root word, the Dictionary gives a pronunciation guide for such terms. In addition, the applicable entries provide pronunciation transcriptions pursuant to those found among North American practitioners of law or medicine.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article of the same name, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black’s Law Dictionary, accessed Nov. 30, 2007
Released under the GFDL.
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