Black's Law Dictionary


Black's Law is the most widely used law dictionary in the United States. Henry Campbell Black authored the first two editions. The U.S. Supreme Court has cited the dictionary as a secondary legal authority in many U.S. Supreme Court cases.

History

The first edition was published in 1891, and the second edition in 1910. The sixth and earlier editions of the book also provided case citations for the term cited, which some lawyers view as its most useful feature, providing a useful starting point with leading cases. The Internet made legal research easier than it ever had been, so many state- or circuit-specific case citations and outdated or overruled case citations were dropped from the seventh edition in 1999. The eighth edition introduced a unique system of perpetually updated case citations and cross-references to legal encyclopedias. The current edition is the eleventh, published in 2019.
Because many legal terms are derived from a Latin root word, the Dictionary gives a pronunciation guide for such terms. In addition, the applicable entries provide pronunciation transcriptions pursuant to those found among North American practitioners of law or medicine.

Availability

An online version of the tenth edition can be accessed through the paid Westlaw legal information service.
The second edition of Black's Law Dictionary is now in the public domain and is available online for free. However, the general applicability of this online version is limited due to its age. It still applies for legal theory terms, and many basic legal terms with respect to their general meaning. However, references to case law will be obviously incomplete for modern purposes, and the use of legal language in court filings and in the courtroom has changed with changes in law and legal culture over time. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. has reprinted the first and second editions. Also, it is available as a Windows Phone application, and the tenth edition is available as an application for iOS devices.

Pocket editions