Legal Dictionaries

The practice of law requires the precise use of words. While general unabridged dictionaries define legal words of art, they do not do so with the precision of a legal dictionary.

In the Witrz Labor Library we have:

• Black's Law Dictionary on the Dictionary Stand in the Law Library
• Words and Phrases in the Law Reference section

Both of these sources differ from general dictionaries by:

• Citing authority
• Paraphrasing the actual language of the courts

You can also find legal dictionaries on the Internet:

• Findlaw <http://dictionary.lp.findlaw.com/>
• Law.com <http://dictionary.law.com/>
• LawyerIntl.com <http://lawyerintl.com/modules/dictionary/>
• Wex <http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Main_Page> Collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia provided by Cornell University's LII.
• Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>
• Yahoo <http://dir.yahoo.com/Government/Law/Legal_Research/Dictionaries/>

DOL employees: On WESTLAW, use the database BLACKS, which contains the entire contents of Black's Law Dictionary (8th Edition, 2004). On LEXIS try Ballentine's Law Dictionary, 3rd Edition (LEXREF; BTINES) or Legal Dictionaries, Combined (LEXREF/LGLDIC).

Note: Lexis no longer updates the online version of Ballentine's Law Dictionary, 3rd Edition.