Law Student

The CALI Pre-Law Blog recently discouraged law students from buying a legal dictionary: What Legal Dictionary Should I Buy For Law School?

I generally agree, mostly because of the availability of online law dictionaries.

My Approach. I bought a pocket dictionary for my backpack and the full Black’s Law Dictionary for my desk. I didn’t use the pocket dictionary after the first few months. However, I did use it in the first semester until I learned how to use the legal dictionary on WestLaw. Also, the pocket dictionary was handy when I didn’t have a laptop next to me, like when sitting in a large comfortable chair at the coffee shop. As for the large Black’s Law Dictionary on my desk—I still have never used it.

The Better Approach. If I could do it all over, I would

1. not buy the large Black’s Law Dictionary that I never use
2. only buy the pocket dictionary if I planned to study without my laptop
3. use online legal dictionaries

Online Dictionaries. Here are the online legal reference websites I found most useful: Law Dictionaries.

Related posts:

1. Law Review Tip 2: Online Legal Dictionaries
2. 1L Advice: What to Look for When Buying a Backpack
3. Terms and Phrases New Law Students Must Know
4. Law Student Computer Buying Tips: 1. Buy a Laptop
5. Law Student Computer Buying Tips: 2. What Size Laptop Should I buy?