I was just thinking about my first trip to the bookstore as an incoming 1L because there are probably a lot of you making that same trip. More about legal dictionaries below...

As I told the bookstore worker my classes, he took me around the store and handed me the required books for each class (Mistake #1: should have bought used online).

Then the worker told me I would need a law dictionary and that most people bought Black's Law Dictionary (here, here, or here). So I bought one (Mistake #2). I bought the pocket edition because it was the cheapest. I used the dictionary a little at first, but I don't think I've opened it past the first or second month of law school. Even though I got the cheaper version, it wasn't worth it.

With constant internet access and a computer always while studying, if I really need to look a word up an online dictionary like law.com's Law Dictionary works fine.

In other words, you don't necessarily need to buy a legal dictionary if you have internet access.

9/19/2006 Edit:
You know, I just saw my little pocket edition Black's Legal Dictionary sitting on my bookshelf at home and I thought, "what a waste."

Now, I realize you probably stumbled on this blog post in google search for a Legal Dictionary. And since I'm so convinced that I will not need a legal dictionary for the rest rest of my law school career, I'm willing to ship at my expense (w/in the U.S.) my personal (barely) used Black's Legal Dictionary Pocket Edition to you to keep if you are a law student who is looking for a legal dictionary.

Why? Just in the spirit of helping other law students and just because you read this blog post.

Send me your name, school, and shipping address and I'll send it to you if you're the first one to ask.