Black's Law Dictionary: Abridged Version (Dictionary)

If you do the bulk of your studying in the library, you likely will find several big ol' Blacks stationed throughout, not to mention Am Jur and CJS and whatnot. In addition, Westlaw offers Black's definitions online, and Lexis has something similar. It's easy to find alternatives and go without.

The definitions are so short that a term of any complexity might just as well be more confusing after consulting it. From what I can gather, the emphasis was on boiling definitions down, not on developing terse, informative definitions. (And I found at least one blatant editorial goof -- the omission of "barrister," despite its cross-reference at "solicitor"; omission of "renvoi") I mean, you don't even feel like you're reading a real dictionary; rather it's like some kind of perverse travel phrasebook. The bigger one is a better reference, but for the amount you'll actually need that kind of tool, you're better off spending the money on a good hornbook for a big class.

My two cents: Garner ought to design a volume targeted at 1Ls, with 2/3 fewer terms (is "kleptomania" really necessary?) and two to three times the explanation. It should focus on stuff 1Ls are likely to encounter and not know, stuff for which a good, thorough, contextual explanation would really help students see how the piece fits into the puzzle. I truly can't think of one time I've used this book since my first year.


A Critical Reference Tool for Legal Professionals   June 24, 2000
 58 out of 62 found this review helpful

How can anyone even tangentially involved in the legal arena dispute the preeminence of Black's Law Dictionary? It simply has no peer. If you are unable to effortlessly recite definitions used in lay english, you don't have a prayer with legal words, phrases, and terminology.

This work contains thousands of definitions, has been recently updated (7th edition) to encompass new and evolving areas of the law, and addresses more legal maxims than a college latin professor can shake a stick at. It is, therefore, simply the best.

I would like to briefly and concisely address come of the concerns of other reviewers. First, the color of the cover is completely irrelevant to the quality of the book. Get over it. If the problem is really that bad, buy a can of spray paint. Next, this monster doesn't go to class - it sits on your desk at home. If you need a pocket law dictionary for class (which you do), go buy one. Stop complaining because it won't fit into your Levis. Finally, if you don't think you need it, you need it more than you think. Every first year law student cracks this book early in the first semester. There isn't one law school professor in the country who doesn't own a copy. It's standard fare at all major law firms. So again, please tell me, why don't you need to purchase the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date legal dictionary in the world?


This is T H E Law dictionary!   October 19, 1999
 47 out of 50 found this review helpful

Magnificent, comprehensive dictionary, covering definitions thoroughly. Also contains legal maxims (latin), which are very useful, and a copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Human Rights Declaration. A must have for any lawyer, or anyone whose activities involve the law (basically everyone).


Rebuttal to other reviews   September 12, 2003
 36 out of 36 found this review helpful

Do not believe those reviewers who say that 1L's do not need this dictionary. I have struggled for almost a month now with my Mirriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law and other online dictionaries because these dictionaries do not give clear definitions. Black's, however, excels in clarity. For brevity's sake, I refrain from giving examples. Go look at the dictionary.

Some reviewers contend that the 7th edition is missing valuable information included in earlier editions. The missing information are largely case citations that give authority to various definitions. The 7th edition dispenses with this patchwork of lexicography in favor of an amalgamization approach aimed at transferring legal understanding to your mind as quickly as possible. If you need to do research on jurisdictional definitions of terms, consult Words and Phrases (multi-volume dictionary, every law library has it).

For those who are tempted to get the abridged version, I strongly encourage you to get the full version. The full version includes much commentary from legal treatises that expands understanding of the terms beyond the given definitions.

Finally, while you will have access to Black's on Westlaw your second semester, is there really a good substitute for hardcopy when your internet connection is down? Besides, if you are like me, you get sick of staring at the screen all day long.

Go buy this dictionary. You won't regret it.