LibGuides: Law & Legal: Reference Works

Print Resources

These resources are located in the reference section of the PVCC Library.

Encyclopedia of the American Constitution - KF 4548 .E53

Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law, Fourth Edition - ebook

Looking for a paper topic?

Check out the Pro/Con table. These books address current hot topics such as immigration, AIDS, domestic violence, the environment, education, crime, and other social and legal issues.

Online Law Dictionaries

Black's Law Dictionary (Westlaw)
Comprehensive, authoritative dictionary of legal terminology.

Findlaw Dictionary
Based on Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law.
Law.com
Search for a term and find its definition, or search in the definition field to find a legal term.
Nolo Press Glossary
Dictionary of legal terms from Nolo Press, a huge publisher of self-help legal materials.

Online Encyclopedias and Other Resources

American Jurisprudence (Westlaw)
American Jurisprudence (called AmJur) is an exhaustive encyclopedia of American legal topics, with references to case law and other secondary sources.
Nolopedia
This free encyclopedia provides information for consumers on business, wills, property and money, family law, immigration, rights and disputes, bankruptcy, and more.
Cornell University Law School (Wex)
A collaboratively built free dictionary and encyclopedia from Cornell University Law School.