Dictionary of Legal Terms [Paperback]

Steven H. Gifis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0764139215 | ISBN-13: 978-0764139215 | Edition: 4

Updated to include new terms such as "civil union" and to incorporate recent changes in laws and judicial interpretations, this handy dictionary cuts through the complexities of legal jargon and presents definitions and explanations that can be understood by non-lawyers. Approximately 2,500 terms are given with definitions and explanations for the benefit of consumers, business proprietors, legal beneficiaries, investors, property owners, litigants, and all others who have dealings with the law. Terms are arranged alphabetically from Abandonment and Abatable Nuisance, all the way through to Writ, Yellow Dog Contract, and Zoning.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Updated with new terms such as "civil union" and citing recent changes in laws and judicial interpretations, this handy dictionary cuts through the complexities of legal jargon and gives you definitions and explanations that you can understand. Here's a handy guide to "legalese" for consumers, business proprietors, legal beneficiaries, investors, property owners, litigants, and all others who have dealings with the law.

About the Author

Steven H. Gifis is former Associate Professor of Law at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Law, Newark.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 4 edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764139215
• ISBN-13: 978-0764139215
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Science
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Law > General
  • #6 in Books > Law > Dictionaries & Terminology

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legal Terms, April 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dictionary of Legal terms (Paperback)

This book is a must for those with no legal background, but don't want to be intimidated by legal "jargon." I found it an easy reference guide to common and not so common legal words used every day. I work in a courtroom, and found the book helpful in understanding the judicial process.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good enough for me, January 21, 2006

By 

J. Stoner "Plants and Books" (Parkville, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Legal terms (Paperback)

Barron's "Dictionary of Legal Terms" is a solid text. When I asked a law friend of mine which law dictionary I should purchase he told me that "Black's" was the best law dictionary out there. However, it is rather expensive at eighty or so dollars. Even the pocket version of the text is at least twenty dollars. So I sprang for this law dictionary at about eight dollars.

I was quite impressed and quite educated by the Barron's work. It was informative and complete, yet simple enough for a non-law student to understand. At my local bookstore I compared the Barron's dictionary with some others and found this one more to my liking because it provides examples for certain definitions; something the other texts did not.

The only reason that I did not give this 5 stars is that it is not as complete as some of the other books that I looked at. This version has "more than 2500 legal terms" and the other books were all about 3000. However, I have not yet come across a word or jargon that I was unable to find in this book so I am not sure what the other 500+ words or phrases are.

Solid book. Highly recommended.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legal Terms Defined in Everyday Language, September 2, 2001

By 

MaryJosephineHart "MaryJosephineHart" (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dictionary of Legal terms (Paperback)

This book defines legal terms in easily understood English. In some cases, it gives an example of a situation to which the legal term might apply in order to help illustrate the meaning. It would be a very useful addition to anyone's reference library.