New edition – Black’s Law Dictionary
The 11th Edition is here at the Alameda County Law Library‘s Reference Desk. (KF156 .B53 2019 – Reference Desk)
Black’s Law Dictionary is a respected standard for the language of law. Its publisher states that it is the most widely cited law book in the world.
In addition to giving you definitions of legal terms and the years of introduction of use, many of Black‘s entries provide annotations to further define the meaning of a word or phrase in a legal context.
Black’s is also searchable on Westlaw on the ACLL public computers.
Do you know what a Flip Wilson defense is? Black’s has a definition. It is described as a defense based on vague blame-shifting as in “Society made me do it” or “Drugs made me do it.” Flip Wilson (1933 – 1998) was a comedian whose catchphrase in the 1960s and 1970s was “The devil made me do it.”
