Customer Reviews

Blacks Law Dictionary, 7th Edition

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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?

Some reviewers below have suggested that it is unnecessary, or even unadvisable, to buy the new edition if you have a past version of Black's Law Dictionary. Don't believe them. Would you listen to someone who told you "why should you buy a new version of Windows (or Mac OS)? That copy of Windows 2.0 (or System 4.3) is just as good."

The editor of the new edition is Bryan Garner, who is probably the most important legal language scholar of the past ten years. Oh heck, he's the most important legal language scholar of the last millenium. He and his associate editors have taken great pains to rewrite every definition from the past editions to make them understandable and usable. Don't believe me? Compare the current definitions of "good faith" and "bad faith" with the definitions from the previous edition, which were (in essence):

Good faith: not in bad faith

Bad faith: not in good faith.

Hardly helpful when you want to explain to someone (like a judge) why your client didn't act in "bad faith."

In addition, the current edition has added cross-references to other common sources of legal definitions and explanations, i.e., Restatements and Uniform Acts. This is unbelievably useful when you want to cite a "meatier" source than "Black's Law Dictionary" in a brief. If you're like my law firm and are limping by with an outdated edition of Black's, buy this one today and find out what you've been missing.

I disagree with the comments of the reviewer below. The full hardback edition of the dictionary is a must own, as it contains everything that Black's has to offer. In addition, I strongly recommend law students purchase a compact pocket book edition to carry with you to class at all times. The pocket book edition is relatively inexpensive, under $10, so it will only add slightly to the overwhelming cost of books in law school. However, in whatever form you choose to buy, this dictionary is a must own, unless you are fluent in Latin.

If you have ever had to read a contract or any other form of legal document, then this book is a must reference for you. It is by far the leading reference on the market for legal terminology. With an expanding society of lawyers and complexities in contracts, it's important to have a reference that can unlock the door of understanding as this dictionary does. It is also a must for any business owner as a reference. I highly recommend you own one. It's worth the investment.

Before I purchased this dictionary I read reviews that said it was overkill, that I would never use it, and even one that said to get a Webster's instead (!), but in my first semester I have learned to love it.
I used the typical 1L approach and shotgunned my dictionaries so I had the pocket version in my backpack and this one at home, and I would say that at least weekly-no exaggeration here-I would find a term from my reading that was not in the pocket version and was in this full version. That is definitely reason enough to me to warrant purchasing this dictionary.
But, as I alluded to in the subject, a new edition has come now, but I assume that all the archaic Latin and French terms you need this book for probably haven't changed in the last 3 years, so this one's probably ok. Having said that, my sister's getting the brand new ridiculously expensive deluxe for Christmas. Cheers.

This dictionary is comprehensive and current. It's easy to read and understand. And it's painstakingly accurate. It far outstrips all the previous editions of Black's Law Dictionary. The previous editions were mostly just reports of how courts had used the words. This edition is, instead, a true dictionary--defining what legal words mean and relying not only on cases but on a wide array of legal texts. Plus, it is written by the most well known expert in the field.

The Pocket Edition might get you through law school, but practicing lawyers need this one.

Perhaps in an effort to clean up the design, the editors of this edition have dropped many of the terms of historical interest. I suspect that there are far fewer words covered in this edition than in mine (the fifth). I just had mine rebound, because I didn't want to get a newer one -- not because I couldn't afford it, but because the older editions are preferable.

A professional who works with attorneys and needs to understand certain legal concepts and terminology, I have found "Black's Law Dictionary" a most useful tool. It defines legal terms in such a clear and concise way that I don't need legal dictionaries designed for the "layman." Whenever I want to understand a new legal term, I pick up this book and acquire a basic understanding within just a minute or so.

Most attorneys already have familiarity with this book. I highly recommend "Black's Law Dictionary" to the layman.

This is one of the best books because it clearly defines legal terms that even a dunce can understand. Whenever I am stuck for a new legal term, I turn to this book. This is a must read for anyone interested in the law.