The Wolters Kluwer Bouvier Law Dictionary, Quick Reference

Derived from the famous 1853 law dictionary used by Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln, and Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., The Wolters Kluwer Bouvier Law Dictionary Quick Reference has been brought completely up-to-date by a distinguished and widely-published legal scholar and teacher. Steve Sheppard, with law degrees from Oxford and Columbia Universities, brings his scholarship, international practice, and litigation experience to bear in making the famous text as relevant today as it was when it first broke ground in American law. Definitions derived from contemporary as well as classic sources give the reference book its depth and authority. Building on Bouvier's structure and entries, Professor Sheppard has added thousands of new terms and rewritten many original definitions. 8,500 short definitions explain more than 11,200 words and phrases, giving readers a general understanding of a term when a quick grasp of a concept is required. Each entry is written to be understood by the modern student, argued by the modern lawyer, and cited by the modern judge. An intuitive structure and thorough cross-referencing makes the first complete revision of this essential dictionary in more than a hundred years accessible and easy to use.

Features of The Wolters Kluwer Bouvier Law Dictionary Quick Reference:

• The classic becomes contemporary.

o Definitions derived from ancient and contemporary sources, with current statutes, regulations, cases, and treatises building on ancient and medieval sources

o Designed for modern use and contemporary issues

• Authority in General Editor Stephen Sheppard:

o Widely published by Cambridge, Oxford and other leading presses

o Holds law degrees from Oxford and Columbia Universities, including a doctorate in the science of law

o Draws on international legal practice, litigation, and teaching experience for the selection of terms

• Encyclopedic in scope:

o 8,500 entries, explaining more than 11,200 words and phrases, far more than Bouvier's original two-volume set with 6,600 entries

o Short definitions give readers a quick grasp of a concept and a general understanding in a hurry

o Clear statement of meanings, context and usage of key terms

• Intuitive structure, for ease of use:

o Major terms organize concepts and related terms: e.g. exceptions to Hearsay under hearsay, the forms of estate under Estate

o Thorough cross-referencing, making terms easy to find