Do you need a definition of a Latin term? Trying to learn what the "Sedona Conference" refers to? Does a Bluebook abbreviation have you stumped? Here are several free, online resources to bookmark as favorites for legal reference.
Wex is an electronic legal dictionary and encyclopedia sponsored by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. All entries are edited by legal experts to ensure authoritative research. You can browse the terms and articles list in the database or use the search function box to locate specific words or phrases. Recently Wex added the Nolo Plain English Law Dictionary which further expands content available on the site.
LawBrain, a legal wiki supported by FindLaw, encourages collaboration for the creation of information to help people understand the law. Entries, edited by users, include a legal terms dictionary and an A to Z browsing feature for locating topics and articles. This database definitely has an interactive feel. On LawBrain you can weigh in on an issue using the Opinion Tab, see what the most popular articles are, and track all editing changes made to the wiki.
Another online resource well worth mentioning is the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations. This database lists the abbreviation for a title or deciphers the abbreviation for a title. The publisher, Britain's Cardiff University, includes English language legal publications from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States.
Submitted by Cheryl O'Connor on September 29, 2010
This article appears in the categories: Law Library/IT
