Black's Law Dictionary: Its Relevance To Us Law Explained

Black's Law Dictionary is the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. The dictionary was first published in 1891 by West Publishing, with the full title A Dictionary of Law: containing definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern, including the principal terms of international constitutional and commercial law, with a collection of legal maxims and numerous select titles from the civil law and other foreign systems. The dictionary has been revised and republished several times, with the 12th edition being released in 2024. It is considered the first and last word on the language of the law.

Black's Law Dictionary's influence on US law

Black's Law Dictionary, currently in its 12th edition, is the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. It contains over 65,000 legal terms, each clearly and precisely defined in plain English. It is also the most widely cited law book in the world, cited over 250 times by the U.S. Supreme Court since 2000.

The dictionary was first published in 1891 by West Publishing, with the full title "A Dictionary of Law: containing definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern, including the principal terms of international constitutional and commercial law, with a collection of legal maxims and numerous select titles from the civil law and other foreign systems". The first two editions were authored by Henry Campbell Black (1860–1927). A second edition was published in 1910 as "A Law Dictionary". Black died in 1927 and future editions were titled "Black's Law Dictionary".

The sixth and earlier editions of the book provided case citations for the term cited, which lawyers viewed as its most useful feature, as it provided a useful starting point with leading cases. The seventh edition, published in 1999, omitted many state- or circuit-specific case citations and outdated or overruled case citations due to the invention of the internet, which made legal research easier. The eighth edition introduced a unique system of perpetually updated case citations and cross-references to legal encyclopedias.

As many legal terms are derived from Latin root words, the dictionary provides a pronunciation guide for such terms. The applicable entries also provide pronunciation transcriptions pursuant to those found among North American practitioners of law or medicine.

The second edition of Black's Law Dictionary, published in 1910, is now in the public domain and is widely reproduced online. However, references to case law are out-of-date, and the edition omits legal terms that have since come into use and does not reflect contemporary changes in how legal terms are used.

Racial inequality in the US Constitution

Black's Law Dictionary is the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. It was first published in 1891 by West Publishing, with the full title "A Dictionary of Law: Containing Definitions of the Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern, Including the Principal Terms of International Constitutional and Commercial Law, with a Collection of Legal Maxims and Numerous Select Titles from the Civil Law and Other Foreign Systems". The dictionary was created by Henry Campbell Black, who authored the first two editions. The current edition is the twelfth, published in 2024.

Racial inequality in the United States has deep roots in the country's history, with policies and behaviours that have resulted in the appropriation of resources, power, and economic opportunities from non-white people. While the discussion of racial inequality often focuses on economic disparities, it also manifests in various other ways that impact the well-being of Americans. This includes disparities in wealth, education, employment, housing, health, incarceration rates, and more.

The US Constitution, particularly the Fourteenth Amendment, has played a significant role in addressing racial inequality. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, was primarily intended to ban state discrimination against Black Americans and grant them citizenship and equal protection under the law. The Equal Protection Clause, located within the amendment, mandates that individuals in similar situations be treated equally by the law. This clause was pivotal in the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Supreme Court decision, which helped dismantle racial segregation in public education.

Despite the protections offered by the Fourteenth Amendment, racial inequality has persisted in the United States due to various factors. One significant factor was the Black Codes enacted by ex-Confederate states after the Civil War. These laws severely restricted the rights of Black Americans to own property, form legally enforceable contracts, and imposed harsher criminal consequences compared to white Americans. Additionally, policies such as redlining, which denied access to credit and loans to residents of predominantly minority neighbourhoods, contributed to racial disparities in wealth and homeownership.

Furthermore, racial discrimination in education, housing, and employment has been pervasive. While the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education was a significant step towards desegregation, de facto segregation in schools, housing, and other areas remains prevalent. Racial disparities in educational outcomes, such as test scores and college attendance, contribute to inequalities in economic security and opportunities for people of colour.

To address these persistent inequalities, efforts have been made to promote affirmative action and increase diversity. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives has been debated, and the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) ended the use of race and ethnicity in admissions decisions for educational institutions.

US law's impact on Black Americans' lives

Black's Law Dictionary is the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. However, your request also returned results for the impact of US law on Black Americans.

For over 400 years, American law has profoundly shaped, defined, and constrained the lives of Black people. The roots of racial inequality in the United States are extremely deep, and the country's Constitution, statutes, court cases, and regulations have been both witness to and the source of this inequality.

One example of the impact of US law on Black Americans is the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857, which formally declared that Black people were not citizens of the United States. This ruling had far-reaching consequences, as it denied Black Americans the rights and protections afforded to citizens, including the right to vote, serve on juries, and work in certain professions.

Even in states that had granted voting rights to Black men following the Revolutionary War, such as New York, property requirements were kept for Black voters but removed for white men, ensuring that only a tiny percentage of Black men could vote. In other states, such as Ohio, the state constitution deprived Black people of the right to vote, hold public office, and testify against whites in court.

The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), an organization fighting for racial justice, has also recently released a report detailing the specific harms that Project 2025, a 900-page ultra-conservative roadmap for restructuring the US government, would pose to Black communities. The report highlights how Black Americans would be harmed by policies that weaken anti-discrimination laws, threaten Black political power, increase the use of the death penalty (which disproportionately affects Black people), and exacerbate health disparities caused by environmental racism.

Overall, US law has had a significant and often detrimental impact on the lives of Black Americans, shaping their political participation, educational opportunities, and access to basic rights and freedoms.

US Supreme Court's use of Black's Law Dictionary

Black's Law Dictionary is the most widely cited law book in the world and the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. It has been cited over 250 times by the U.S. Supreme Court since 2000.

The dictionary was first published in 1891 by West Publishing, with the full title "A Dictionary of Law: containing definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern, including the principal terms of international constitutional and commercial law, with a collection of legal maxims and numerous select titles from the civil law and other foreign systems". The first two editions were authored by Henry Campbell Black (1860–1927).

The latest edition, the 12th, was published in 2024 and contains over 65,000 legal terms, each clearly and precisely defined in plain English. It is compiled and defined by Bryan Garner, America’s foremost legal lexicographer.

The U.S. Supreme Court has used Black's Law Dictionary in several cases. For example, in Sullivan v. Stroop (1990), the Court used the dictionary to define "child support" as:

> " [t]he legal obligation of parents to contribute to the economic maintenance, including education, of their children; enforceable in both civil and criminal contexts. In a dissolution or custody action, money paid by one parent to another toward the expenses of children of the marriage."

The Court also used Black's Law Dictionary in the case of Todd v. Norman (1988).

US voting rights and Black Americans

Black's Law Dictionary is the most frequently used legal dictionary in the United States. It was first published in 1891 by West Publishing and was authored by Henry Campbell Black. The dictionary has been profoundly influential in shaping, defining, and constraining the lives of Black Americans.

The struggle for voting rights for Black Americans is a long and ongoing one. The original U.S. Constitution did not define voting rights for citizens, and until 1870, only white men were allowed to vote. This changed with the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended voting rights to men of all races. However, this amendment was not enough to secure the voting rights of Black Americans, as they continued to face disenfranchisement through state constitutions and laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, the "grandfather clause," and intimidation.

The civil rights movement of the twentieth century sought to address these injustices and secure full voting rights for Black citizens. This led to the passage of the Twenty-fourth Amendment in 1964, which prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which enforced voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders through federal law. Despite these advancements, Black Americans continued to face obstacles and discrimination in voting.

In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby v. Holder, making it easier for states to discriminate in voting laws. This decision led to a wave of new restrictions on voting, including ID requirements and limited voting periods, which disproportionately affect Black voters. The struggle for voting rights for Black Americans continues, with ongoing efforts to protect and expand their constitutional right to vote.

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