Black's Law Dictionary

Black's Law Dictionary is regarded by many as the definitive legal dictionary for the law of the United States. It was founded by Henry Campbell Black. It has been cited as legal authority in some cases. The latest edition, including abridged and pocket versions, are a useful starting points for the layman or student when faced with a completely 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. Earlier editions of the book also provided case citations for the term cited, which some lawyers saw as its most useful function, providing a useful starting point with leading cases. For this reason, at least one reviewer considers the seventh edition of Black's Law Dictionary inferior to the sixth edition. Although he acknowledges that it is an excellent dictionary, he sees the removal of case citations from the text as removing a vital part of the book's function. However, the seventh edition includes actual quotations to many noted legal authorities in various areas of law.

Bibliographic entries

  • Bryan A. Garner, editor, Black's Law Dictionary 8th ed, (West Group, 2004) ISBN 0314151990.
  • Bryan A. Garner, editor, Black's Law Dictionary 7th ed, (West Group, 1999) ISBN 0314228640.
  • Bryan A. Garner, editor, Black's Law Dictionary abridged pocket ed. (West Group, 1999) ISBN 0314257918

Availiability

An online version of the latest edition can be accessed through the Westlaw legal information service which is not free. Many research libraries subscribe to either Westlaw or LexisNexis, another legal information giant. The second edition of Black's Law Dictionary (1910) is presumably now in the public domain. The first edition (1891) has been reprinted by the Law Book Exchange ISBN 0-9630106-0-3, as well as the second edition, ISBN 1-886363-10-2. Oddly, an online version of either edition proves difficult to come by. A google search will locate broken links which would suggest that online versions were once prevelant, but have since been removed. Also, Project Gutenberg does not have Black's Law Dictionary available either.

External links

Some online legal dictionaries

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
freestyle skiing at the 2002 winter olympics
luge at the 2002 winter olympics
orlando bloom
nordic combined at the 2002 winter olympics
short track speed skating at the 2002 winter olympics
ski jumping at the 2002 winter olympics
snowboarding at the 2002 winter olympics
speed skating at the 2002 winter olympics
bobsleigh at the 2002 winter olympics
new england digital
ocaml
dissociative identity disorder
joseph banks
john galsworthy
joseph cardinal ratzinger
john bunyan
sn 1604
jon appleton
supernova remnant
synclavier
dengue fever
finger millet
gas sculpture
berengar of tours
planetary nebula
decss
muckleshoot
banksia
proteaceae
figure skating jump
figure skating spin
norwich, vermont
niihau
hawaii five o
bobsled
oak
frederick i, holy roman emperor
dari (of afghanistan)
highway 1
social contract
speech
edward v of england
hadrian's wall
obliquity of the ecliptic