Law and Legal Studies
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Legal encyclopedias are secondary (and sometimes tertiary) sources that explain legal terms and concepts, legislation, and notable court cases. They are a useful starting point for research because they summarize the topic and often provide references to the most important statutes and cases. Legal encyclopedias can be general, or focused on a particular area of law.
Legal dictionaries briefly explain legal terms and concepts. and are useful when you are not clear on the meaning of a legal term, particularly due to the law's extensive use of Latin terminology. Legal dictionaries can be general, or focused on a particular area of law. Some legal dictionaries provide references to a term's use in legislation and court law, to show what the legislature and judiciary intended it to mean.
Legal encyclopedias
Legal encyclopedias can provide you with a summary of the law on your topic.
UMass subscription databases
- Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
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Click on the "Secondary Sources" link, under "By Type", click on American Jurisprudence 2d and enter relevant search terms at the top of the page. - Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
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A collection of several hundred current subject encyclopedias including many law-related titles.
Books and e-books
Gale Encyclopedia of American Law by Call Number: e-BookISBN: 9781414436845Publication Date: 20113rd edition.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law by Call Number: KF154 .W47 2005, e-BookISBN: 0787663670Publication Date: 20042nd edition. Includes legal dictionary. Link goes to e-Book.
Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law by Call Number: KF387 .N65 2014ISBN: 9781413319972Publication Date: 20149th edition. A book written in Q&A format that addresses legal issues that one might face in day-to-day life.
Legal dictionaries
UMass subscription databases
- Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
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The online version of the Black's Law Dictionary can be accessed by choosing Secondary Sources > Black's Law Dictionary (on the right side). - Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
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Subscription-based resource providing entries from over 100 Oxford University Press subject and language dictionaries, guides, and concise companions, including many law-related titles.
Web links
- SCOTUSblog Glossary of Legal TermsA short glossary explaining the meaning of procedural terms used in the U.S. Supreme Court.
- WexWex is a free, online legal dictionary and encyclopedia created by legal experts and hosted by the Legal Information Institute.
Books
Black's Law Dictionary by Call Number: KF156 .B53 2014ISBN: 9780314613004Publication Date: 201410th edition.
Garner's Dictionary of Legal Usage by Call Number: KF156 .G367 2011ISBN: 9780195384208Publication Date: 20113rd edition.
