Customer Reviews

Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law

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

 

 

i compared this to black's law dictionary when i bought this particular dictionary. i found that the definitions were just as comprehensive as the black's and that layout was easier to understand. the price is also big plus since it is half the cost of the blacks

I keep this legal dictionary at my right hand on my desk and refer to it almost daily. It is a perferct legal dictionary for non-lawyers.

I'm not a lawyer, but have been involved with litigation as a plaintiff and am training as an expert witness. Sometimes it's helpful to know what "voir dire" and "subpoena duces tecum" mean. Even for somebody who's studied Latin and French, lawyers sometimes pronounce things differently than you'd expect - and this dictionary has helped.

I also appreciate having a copy of the constitution in the back, as well as a guide to the judicial system. Included is a bare-bones outline of criminal and civil procedure which will be helpful for the layperson. The appendix also has lists of important cases and important laws (can you remember Marbury vs. Madison from high school civics?).

I know that Black's Law Dictionary, Eighth Edition (Black's Law Dictionary (Standard Edition)) is the standard, but you can't beat this dictionary for its price, size, and coverage.

I had planned on buying "Black's Law Dictionary", but the review of this dictionary made me think twice. I did a comparison of some key words and phrases between these two and several others. This one was the winner.

The price was not an object, but it sure is nice to pocket the extra money. This dictionary had similar definitions, but slightly more readable. What was the tipping point were the additional description of how they are used -- not just the definition, but was it means and some historical usages.

The extras at the back are nice. They will probably be more useful than I had suspected, especially the summaries of important Supreme Court cases.

This dictionary is more concise and easy to understand for a beginning law student. Black's seem to assume you already know everything and does not cover some of the simple terms I look for. I'm sure a complete edition of Blacks would be great i just don't have that yet.

I bought this for my son who needed a paperback dictionary that was beyond basic. After looking at several I settled on this one. He said it was absolutely perfect.

A very good dictionary. The only drawback is that it is not very comprehensive. It does not include all the terms you expect to find in your daily activities, but still a good option to have around.

I sampled three popular law dictionaries for Kindle (1) Law Dictionary, (Mass Market) 6th Ed. (Barron's Legal Guides) , (2) Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, and (3) Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary. By far, the best I'd seen is Barron's. Among other things, instant search is enabled, and there are hotlinks to related terms. Webster's is next (e.g it's got hotlinks, but shows only one definition per page). Nolo is the worst; it's like all they did was convert the text. Try before you buy.

I find it very useful for terms and meanings that I have not used in a while. Also good for spell checks of obscure legal jargon. fairly comprehensive, good for practitioners and layman. I recommend this product to both.

LB esq.

Very useful dictionary, but its needeed comparisons regarding other law systems such as continental law, not only US or British legal systems