Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

From Abandon to Zoning and all the legal terms in between you'll find straight forward, plain English definitions in this dictionary which is not, as it says on the back cover "your grandfather's law dictionary." There is no forward in this book, no introduction telling you how to use it. It's just a dictionary, but it's a darned good one. And as an added bonus after the last Z word Nolo Press has added the United States Constitution. It's been a long time since I've read it, it felt good reading it again. Our founding fathers were pretty sharp guys.

Nolo's new Law Dictionary makes it possible for lawyers to speak the English language again! Legal professionals of all bents will be able to untangle their tongues, and speak understandably to their clients again! Law students, who are so very tempted to insert legalese into their daily conversations with family and friends, will be able once again to speak intelligently, articulately, and with meaning, by learning (or re-learning) NOLO's clear and concise definitions. This tremendous dictionary is also something you could give to your clients! When learning the law is fun, it makes everyone more informed as consumers of legal services and products. This great book changes the world!

To say the law is tortuous, convoluted and obfuscated is to say the sun is hot. Yet, no citizen of the modern world can avoid "intimate" contact with the letter, spirit and wording of the law. Unfortunately, most of the time it appears that the wording of the law is specifically designed to maintain a "wall of wisdom" around it, preventing all but the practitioners from understanding it. This is unfortunate to say the least, as it is expensive and unnecessary, for if you remove the intellectually blinding verbiage, the average citizen is capable of understanding most legal principles. In that regard, this book is one of the best bargains ever marketed, for the definitions of legal terms are written in plain and understandable language so that the average citizen can navigate through much of the legal terrain. While it is of course no substitute for sound legal advice, by reading the definitions of legal terms, you can significantly reduce the amount of time spent in your lawyer's office and feel much more comfortable with the results when the event is over. Given the high hourly fees for legal assistance, even the savings of one-half of an hour will make the purchase of this book profitable.

Like the majority of Nolo books this is an excellent resource. I compared this law dictionary to Black's law dictionary, and it compared favorably. The language is clearer and simpler. Also, the print, the type set, and the whole layout of the book is aesthetically pleasing. The U.S. Constitution in the back is also a nice key legal reference. One more time, good job Nolo. In this information age, a law dictionary is a pretty essential tool to have. And, this one will do the job just fine.

"Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary" by the Editors of Nolo, Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen Thompson Hill is promoted as, "This is `not' you grandfather's law dictionary." This law dictionary is written in clear English and contains compete definitions of legal terms you need today. As an attorney, this book will not replace my "Black's Law Dictionary" which is the standard for legal dictionaries, but this lighter, plain-English text is very convenient to have on hand. For most people, this text is all they would need when wondering about a legal term. To illustrate the differences in dictionaries, let's look at the word "partner." Most of us know what it means, and it is a common word that we use in business all the time. The definition in "Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary" is: "One of the co-owners and investors in a partnership. Each partner claims a share of the the (sic) business's income or losses on the partner's individual tax return. General partners are responsible for the debts, contracts, and actions of all the partners in the business. Limited partners do not share responsibility for partnership debts and cannot share in management decisions." (Note that I found a typo in the definition noted with the (sic)). "Black's Law Dictionary" provides much more under the listing of "partner." "A member of partnership or firm; one who has united with others to form a partnership in business." The there are definitions for each of the following: Dormant partners, full or general partner, junior partner, limited partner, liquidating partner, nominal partner, ostensible partner, quasi partner, secret partner, silent partner, special partner, and surviving partner. "Black's" contains much more than "Nolo's," but that is what you expect, and for most people who are not attorneys, "Black's" has much more than is needed, and is not as easy to understand as "Nolo's." The size and cost of the books is very different too. "Black's is a very large and heavy book, and much more expensive. "Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary" is smaller, paperback, easier to grab off the shelf or take with you, and costs less. If you would like an easy to understand law dictionary, full of the most common terms non-lawyers will most likely need, this book will be a very good addition to your reference library. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.