Legal Reference Sources Subject Guide
Other Resources
13 resources available
- Restricted to WMU users 
- Open Access
Dictionaries in any field provide brief explanations of terms in that field.
This 15,000 term glossary of law terms is only one part of a legal site that has links to attorneys, legal forms, articles, headlines and other useful legal information all under the aegis of http://lawyerintl.com
Black's Law Dictionary
KF 156 .B53 2009 (Ref. Desk Coll.)
The best known, most authoritative law dictionary containing over 4,500 entries that reflect both modern and historical terminology.
Oxford Reference Online [Encyclopedias and dictionaries--Databases]
"Multi-part database of the online vesions of OUP [legal] texts" including the following searchable titles:
The Oxford Companion to American Law
The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia
A Dictionary of Law
A Dictionary of Law Enforcement
The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions
Found in Oxford Reference Online, this is a "Searchable database of over 4000 entries of law related information" with "focus on English and European law, the Internet, criminal law, world trade, divorce law, consumer and data protection" (Catalog Summary).
Dictionary of Legal Terms: A Simplified Guide to the Language of Law
Available online, the 3rd ed. (1998) of Barron’s Dictionary of Legal Terms includes over 2500 legal terms translated into "simple" English.
More infoInternational Law: A Dictionary
KZ 1161 .B63 2005 (Ref)
Not a typical A-Z dictionary format, this volume is organized by 9 broad-ranging chapters subdivided alphabetically by the entry name The 373 actual entries range from individuals to doctrines to crimes, to legal concepts to almost anything related to the international legal scene. There is a detailed "List of Entries" that, ipso facto, is a complete table of contents.
The 3rd edition (2000) of this law dictionary is available through NetLibrary, but requires a special downloadable plugin.
Michigan Law for Everyone: Plus Law Dictionary
KFM 4281 .W45 2002 (Education Library)
Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations
KF 246 .B46 1993 (Reference Desk Collection)
This dictionary helps you find the meaning of abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols found in legal documents.
Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations Reversed
K 89 .K37 1994 (Ref)
When writing a legal document or a citation, use this dictionary to convert legal words and publication titles into abbreviations and acronyms.
Burton's Legal Thesaurus
KF 156 .B856 2007 (Ref)
Consult this thesaurus to find synonyms and associated legal concepts to words commonly used in the legal profession.
Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations
KF 159 .S53 1993 (Ref)
One of several quotation manuals in the Central Reference stacks that provides oft-spoken and cited quotations relating to the law and legal topics.
Real Life Dictionary of the Law
KF 156 .H55 1995 (Ref)
A dictionary for non-lawyers that provides simple definitions of legal terms.
Librarian's Comment: This reference title and the following titles can be searched online through Westlaw Campus Research:
ALR - Personal Injury Damages (DMG-ALR)
American Jurisprudence 2d (AMJUR)
American Jurisprudence: Estate Planning & Probate (AMJUR-EPP)
American Law Reports (ALR)
American Law Reports - Estate Planning & Probate (ALR-EPP)
Black's Law Dictionary, 8th Edition (BLACKS)
Flood Insurance Coverage: American Law Reports (FLOOD-ALR)