Product Description

Garner's Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage gives authoritative guidance on all the vexing questions that legal writers face, from correcting grammatical errors to framing legal issues to distinguishing between similar but distinct legal terms. With great detail and care, Garner explains what legalese is, how it can be simplified, and how far legal writers can go in simplifying it. The topics are alphabetically arranged for ease of reference: simply look up any phrase or grammatical category you're interested in, and you're likely to find the final word on the subject. Shortly after the completion of this massively expanded second edition, the late Charles Alan Wright said: "The first edition of this book has been praised around the world as both the most reliable guide to legal usage and the most fascinating to read. The second edition outdoes even its predecessor."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32311 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 980 pages

From Library Journal
In this dictionary of American (and some British) legal usage, attorney Garner provides a "charted course" through legal language, advising on hundreds of usage problems in legal writing. Words, phrases, and a few topics are arranged alphabetically and defined or discussed with distinctions between similar terms carefully drawn. Problems in phraseology, diction, grammar, and style are dealt with and entries aptly illustrated from cases, statutes, etc. This volume supplements standard law dictionaries by adding to definitions and including terms not found. It is the most extensive resource available for legal word usage. Its strengths are depth in explanations, careful distinctions, and engaging style. A solid contribution to the improvement of legal writing, highly recommended for larger libraries and all libraries with law or law-related emphases. Mary Jane Brustman, SUNY at Albany Libs.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The well-received Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage (1987) has been updated in this superior second edition. This dictionary of law usage and etymology, not just definitions, is written in a clear and concise style. The number of entries has almost doubled from the first edition, and additional illustrative quotations have been added with complete citations. New terms in this edition include remote relatives, reverse discrimination, gray mail, shadow jury, lynch law, and misconduct in the office.

The entries are arranged alphabetically, interspersed with brief essays on issues of style, grammar and usage, legal lexicology, word formation, and punctuation. The initial words of these essays are capitalized to set them apart. So, for example, there is both a definition of forbid, forbade, forbidden with four quotations from cases or other law books and a discussion of forbidden words and phrases with a list of useless words--irregardless, wheresoever, etc.

It is unfortunate that the introduction from the first edition was not reprinted in the new volume since it describes the purposes of the book--perhaps the most important is "to make legal writers sensitive to the aesthetic possibilities of their prose, to goad them into thinking more acutely about what works in a given context, and what does not." Even libraries that have the first edition should consider this new one, which is highly recommended for any law collection in public or academic libraries.

Review

"Even law libraries that already own the first edition should benefit from Garner's new edition."--Law Library Journal
"Assiduous use of the newly revised Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage will improve mediocre legal writing and enhance good documents. Libraries that serve the legal community and people who read what lawyers write should add this work to their reference collections."--RQ
"The first edition of this book has been praised around the world as both the most reliable guide to legal usage and the most fascinating to read. The second edition outdoes even its predecessor, with more depth, more illustrative quotations, and more proof of Garner's lively literary style. He has surely established himself as the world's leading authority on the language of the law."--Charles Alan Wright
"The well-received Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage has been updated in this superior second edition....Even libraries that have the first edition should consider this new one, which is highly recommended for any law collection in public or academic libraries."--RBB/Booklist
"This dictionary sets the standard for legal usage. It is absolutely indispensable for law libraries, lawyers, and judges, and a wonderful addition to all academic and public library reference collections."--Library Journal

Customer Reviews

A must-have reference for the serious legal writer
Brian Garner is the man. He had me hooked from Legal Writing in Plain English. Modern legal Usage gives the modern legal writer confidence to dispense with legalese and write with precision. I will use this book as a reference throughout my career.

Extremely Useful
I'm starting my second year of law school. I got this book near the end of my first year, and it proved to be an invaluable tool for editing journals and working for law firms over the summer. I wish I had this earlier.

As a side note, I would strongly recommend this book over Garner's American Usage if you are in a legal field. Even non-legal terms are covered in a way more useful to legal writing.

The Best
This is, by far, the single best resource on legal usage one can buy. I never cease to be amazed at how often I pull this book off of my shelf to find it giving me a clear and accurate answer to a usage question. I purchased this book several years ago after attending one of Garner's legal writing seminars. That seminar and this book have dramatically improved my legal writing skills. Those two tools positively influence my writing every single day. If you follow Garner's advice and guidance, you will eliminate deadening and condescending legalese from your legal writing and replace it with clear and concise prose. My clients appreciate receiving contracts that are actually readable and my contracts are less frequently subject to alternative interpretations because ambiguities are largely eliminated. As a lawyer or paralegal, do yourself a favor and buy this book. Better yet, buy this book and take Garner's Advanced Legal Drafting seminar. You won't regret it.