Black's Law Dictionary, Second Pocket Edition [Paperback]

Bryan A. Garner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0314257918 | ISBN-13: 978-0314257918 | Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | Edition: 2nd

This newest addition to the Black's Law Dictionary Series is an easy-to-access and completely up-to-date version of the world's most trusted and authoritative legal dictionary. It is based entirely on the widely-acclaimed 7th edition of Black's Law Dictionary, and has been edited by Bryan A. Garner, the nation's preeminent legal lexicographer. This Second Pocket Edition packs more than 10,000 terms into a single compact volume that is easy to read and even easier to carry. It is the essential companion dictionary to the Standard edition, or as a stand-alone legal tool. Definitions are accurate, brief, and clear. Black's is more than a dictionary--it is a reference that defines, explains and amplifies legal meaning. Helpful extras in the second edition include a dictionary guide and the complete U.S. Constitution.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Acknowledged by linguists and lawyers alike as THE authority in legal language and usage, his influence is both far-reaching and profound. Mr. Garner has has a hand in editing the most important legal references produced in the last decade, as well as in training lawyers and judges on sharpening and clarifying their own legal writing. In short, no one better bridges the worlds of law and language--nor is better suited to take on the classic work and make it better.

Product Details

• Paperback: 796 pages
• Publisher: West Publishing Company; 2nd edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0314257918
• ISBN-13: 978-0314257918
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Law > Dictionaries & Terminology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype, September 3, 2002

By 

Ben R. (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black's Law Dictionary, Second Pocket Edition (Paperback)

While I consulted my pocket edition a decent amount in my first year, it was in no way something I couldn't live without (e.g., the Emanuel series, coffee). This is not a cheap volume for what you get -- specifically, *short* and spare definitions, the vast bulk of which you will never encounter.

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.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Editing Tool, December 14, 2002

By 

Wendy Kaplan (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black's Law Dictionary, Second Pocket Edition (Paperback)

As a long-time medical editor who felt herself something of an expert, it was a shock to enter the very different world of legal editing and be confronted with terms that look misspelled but may not be; case citations presented in a myriad of ways; Latin phrases that are familiar but not enough to comfortably edit legal articles; and so forth.

I bought the paperback version of Black's, and it became my editing bible overnight. Having read the reviews written by law students and attorneys, I bow to their judgment of this book. But I am neither, and I need a tool I can use quickly and well. For me, this book is truly a godsend. The definitions are clear, concise, and enough to let me know whether the copy I am reading has cited a case clearly, or whether I have to query the author. And that's only one of many examples.

As far as I am concerned, this is a five-star reference book, one that I am glad to have in my editing library.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handy., May 2, 2002

By 

Wayne Schiess (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black's Law Dictionary, Second Pocket Edition (Paperback)

I teach at a law school, and my students tell me that they like this pocket dictionary. You can't lug the complete edition of Black's around campus; it's too big. But this little paperback is just right for pulling out of a backpack when the professor uses a term everyone "should" know. It's convenient. And accurate.