It is the fate of those who toil at the lower employments of life, to be rather driven by the fear of evil, than attracted by the prospect of good; to be exposed to censure, without hope of praise; to be disgraced by miscarriage, or punished for neglect, where success would have been without applause, and diligence without reward. Among these unhappy mortals is the writer of dictionaries; whom mankind have considered, not as the pupil, but the slave of science, the pioneer of literature, doomed only to remove rubbish and clear obstructions from the paths of Learning and Genius, who press forward to conquest and glory, without bestowing a smile on the humble drudge that facilitates their progress. Every other authour may aspire to praise; the lexicographer can only hope to escape reproach, and even this negative recompense has been yet granted to very few.

—Johnson, Preface to A Dictionary of the English Language (London, 1755).

Welcome

We are pleased to offer the following collection of Continental, English and American law dictionaries. Some works, such as Williams’s Compendious and Comprehensive Law Dictionary (1816), are dictionaries in the modern sense that offer brief definitions on practical legal topics. Most are closer in style to encyclopedias. The entries in Claude Joseph de Ferrière’s Dictionnaire de Droit et de Pratique (1734), for example, are remarkably long and detailed; several are divided into complex sub-categories that consider such topics as etymology, history and customs. And along with definitions, the entries in Giles Jacob’s New Law-Dictionary (1729) contain digests of relevant laws and extensive interpretive commentary.

Dictionaries by authors like Ferrière and Jacob are incomparable sources because they offer a panoramic view of the law at the time they were published. Their biases and omissions are also revealing. Time spent with the leading law dictionaries of different eras is an excellent way to trace the development of legal concepts.  In this regard they are equally valuable to practitioners and critics engaged with current laws and legislation enacted in the distant past. They are also a pleasurable way to see how our predecessors thought about the law. Often engagingly written and amusing, these fascinating volumes record a dialogue that continues today in the current edition of Black’s Law Dictionary.

The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. specializes in all aspects of law and legal history. Our publication program offers original titles and reprints of over 700 landmark works. We invite offers of antiquarian, scholarly and current practice materials. If you are looking for a hard-to-find title, a list of books on a particular topic or guidance with collection development, we are prepared to assist you. Founded in 1983, we currently serve thousands of individuals and institutions worldwide.