Dictionary of Legal Terms: A Simplified Guide to the Language of Law

I am a new CASA/ Guardian Ad Litem for the court system. Of course, they use a lot of "legalease" that most lay people have no clue to what a judge, lawyer or court orders are saying. This book is wriiten for the lay person and I have already "burnt" up the pages so to speak. It is a wonderful book for anyone.

I'm an airport manager who reviews and signs countless legal documents. This book is an easy method to look up some of the more obscure terms. I especially found the definition/explanation of Latin terms helpful. I think most lay persons will have occasional need to refer to this book in the course of life today.

I bought this dictionary 4 years ago and since then it has been invaluable to me in getting through law school and the bar exam. My copy is so tattered and worn out, I'm thinking of buying a new one to replace it. I highly recommend it over Black's and others that have traditionally been regarded essential for law students and lawyers. Too often with the other legal dictionaries, you look up a word, and then to understand the given definition you end up having to look up additional words. Not so with this book--it lays out legal definitions in the most simple and straightforward manner possible. For many terms, it even gives short hypotheticals to illustrate the term in its proper context. Even though it's titled "For Non-Lawyers" I highly recommend this book to law students, lawyers, paralegals, and anyone else who might appreciate legal jargon explained in an easily understandable way.

This book defines legal terms in easily understood English. In some cases, it gives an example of a situation to which the legal term might apply in order to help illustrate the meaning. It would be a very useful addition to anyone's reference library.

This book is a must for those with no legal background, but don't want to be intimidated by legal "jargon." I found it an easy reference guide to common and not so common legal words used every day. I work in a courtroom, and found the book helpful in understanding the judicial process.