Customer Reviews

Black's Law Dictionary, Second Pocket Edition

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This recommendation is based on the assumption that the reader has already decided to purchase a legal dictionary.

I have found Black's pocket version the best of the portable legal dictionaries. There are more numerous entries and the definitions are clear and complete. I also like the grouping of specific definitions under a more general entry. For example, under "negligence" there are sub-entries for "active", "advertent", "comparative", "concurrent", "contributory", "criminal", "culpable", "gross", "imputed", "inadvertent", "joint", "negligence per se", "ordinary", "passive", "slight", and "subsequent." There are four pages of entries of types of contracts (from adhesion to void contracts) under the main definition of "contract."

This dictionary may be more expensive than the others, but in this case you'll get what you pay for. I have used Gilbert's, for instance, and found it to be inadequate and not as comprehensive as Black's.

One final note: The 2nd Pocket Edition is based on the larger Black's 7th Edition. An 8th Edition was released in 2004, so we might anticipate a 3rd Pocket Edition being released soon.

Black's has long been mandatory to purchase at most major law schools. But after the first year, it is little used, and few lawyers are seen to use it. It is the sort of book you'll see gathering dust in a lawyer's bookshelves.

The difficulty is that Black's, to be useful everywhere (if it can be) gives common-law definitions. Lawyers are usually interested in how words have been defined and construed by the courts of the state they practice in. A definition from Black's really doesn't have that much weight, a judge wants a precedent, not a nineteenth century definition.

With the Internet containing many reference manuals, the utility of Black's is even less. However, it is useful for the person (law student, paralegal, lay person who must read legal documents) who is a little over their head in legal matters and needs a reference. Just so that you understand your legislature may have defined a word differently than what's in Black's . . .

Make sure you're going to use it before you buy it, the various editions are awfully expensive just to gather dust.

As mentioned in an earlier review, the pocket version of Black's Law Dictionary is ideal for the beginning law student, such as myself. While not as thorough as the unabridged version, it is much more convenient to carry around for one. Second, the concise definitions are ideal for getting the gist of a legal definition. I have found that many of the cases studied in first year classes are seventy to one-hundred-and-fifty years old. As a result, many legal terms used in those cases are a bit outdated. Enter the pocket dictionary, which does an admirable job of giving a concise clear defintion, just right for understanding the term used in the case.

As the semester has rolled along, I have found that I am using the dictionary less, which is natural I suppose since I am becoming more familiar with the language of law. I still keep it handy as a refresher. While the internet does offer many valuable resources for defining legal terms, the pocket dictionary is still a valuable resource for use on a plane, on the bus, or when the internet isn't available in class.

If you are planning on studying law, I would recommend picking up a copy of the pocket version of Black's Law Dictionary.

Don't take this book the wrong way. At the time of this review, it cost 29 dollars, a reasonable price when it comes to 1L book costs. It fits into a purse or backpack, if not a pocket. It will serve you well enough in Civpro or Torts in a pinch, until you can get to the Law Library and read a full size Blacks. Do NOT take this book to be an end all be all, it was never meant to be and people who gave this terrible reviews due to its lack of completeness are missing the point. This is a book for when you don't HAVE a full size Black's in front of you, which every 1L should.

If you're an LDer, this dictionary is pretty nice, unless you actually like hauling around the entire latin language in your briefcase. In that case the full ultra deluxe Black's Law Dictionary is for you!

This edition is a handy reference to have on hand. In the new age of technology you can find most of the definitions online but this is a quality substitute.

The Black's Law Dictionary pocket edition is great for class or for bringing with you when you are studying away from home. The definitions aren't as thorough, but you will get a good legal definition for all the terms you need as a 1L.