Product Description

Edited by Bryan A. Garner, the world’s leading legal lexicographer, Black’s Law Dictionary, 8th Edition is now better than ever! The new 8th Edition has more than 43,000 definitions, plus almost 3,000 quotations. Alternative spellings or equivalent terms and expressions are provided for more than 5,300 terms and senses, serving a thesaurus-like function. The extensive appendix on legal abbreviations is a major addition. It’s the first time such a comprehensive guide has been included in a modern law dictionary, and is an invaluable aid to the legal researcher.
-17,000 more definitions than the 7th Edition
-Newly enhanced with West Key Numbers for research reference
-Includes changes made since the creation of the department of Homeland Security
-Almost 3,000 quotations from authorities drawn from sources over at least five centuries
-More than 1,000 law-related abbreviations and acronyms are defined
-Extensive appendix on legal abbreviations
-Faculty recommended

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17344 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1810 pages

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.

Customer Reviews

Not all that deluxe
I have to preface my review with a caveat: Black's is indispensible and if you're reading this, you need it. Also, I haven't looked through it extensively and so don't purport to rate this edition over the last one, just this deluxe version.

Having said that, I can't recommend this particular version with cheap-ish vinyl/leatherette cover and thumb indexing.

I just bought this deluxe version a few days ago for my sister who is going to enter law school in the fall. I decided that though the regular 7th version has served me well, she deserves the best. While this is surely the best, it is certainly not worth $40+ more than the regular version.

I feel like this $100 book will look like a pretty weak stand-alone present for her now that I've taken a close look at it; it's just a little underwhelming.

The cover, whatever it is, looks a little cheap and scratches and indents very easily. It already looks used and did not come sealed.

The binding and overall workmanship seems to be on par with the regular edition I looked at (and the one I own), which is to say mediocre.

The thumb indexing is a plus, and I guess that some people could desire that option enough to warrant the higher price.

Also, the paper is of noticeably higher quality, more like a nice library quality Webster's than a regular book. But I never noticed that the paper in my previous edition was lacking until Barrister Books told me.

The only other noteworthy thing about this particular version is the double take the cashier did when the price came up.

Really, I don't think you can justify that jump in price, if they could do something special for an additional $40-50 (i.e. leather, better binding, jewel encrusted carrying case) it would be worth looking into. There is a deluxe edition in a slipcase for $30 more, but there is no picture of it online and my school's bookstore didn't stock it and I'm sure it is the same book otherwise.

Al in all, a great reference with a marginal upgrade.

Don't believe the hype
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.

Rebuttal to other reviews
Do not believe those reviewers who say that 1L's do not need this dictionary. I have struggled for almost a month now with my Mirriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law and other online dictionaries because these dictionaries do not give clear definitions. Black's, however, excels in clarity. For brevity's sake, I refrain from giving examples. Go look at the dictionary.

Some reviewers contend that the 7th edition is missing valuable information included in earlier editions. The missing information are largely case citations that give authority to various definitions. The 7th edition dispenses with this patchwork of lexicography in favor of an amalgamization approach aimed at transferring legal understanding to your mind as quickly as possible. If you need to do research on jurisdictional definitions of terms, consult Words and Phrases (multi-volume dictionary, every law library has it).

For those who are tempted to get the abridged version, I strongly encourage you to get the full version. The full version includes much commentary from legal treatises that expands understanding of the terms beyond the given definitions.

Finally, while you will have access to Black's on Westlaw your second semester, is there really a good substitute for hardcopy when your internet connection is down? Besides, if you are like me, you get sick of staring at the screen all day long.

Go buy this dictionary. You won't regret it.