Packed with 781 new abbreviations and 350 definitions, your go-to guide just got even better. With more than 5,000 copies sold, Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations has long been a trusted tool for attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries, law librarians, and students. Now in its 8th edition, this indispensable reference just raised the bar—with more entries, broader subject coverage, and even greater usability.
Whether you’re decoding unfamiliar abbreviations or ensuring precision in your legal writing, this guide is essential for navigating the complex world of legal citation.
Explore the Latest Edition
Table of Contents
Summary of Contents
- Preface
- About the Author
- Part I. Forward Dictionary
- Part II. Reverse Dictionary
- Part III. Appendices
- Appendix I: U.S. Courts of Appeals
- Appendix II: U.S. District Courts
- Appendix III: Other Federal Courts
What’s New
The latest edition of Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations includes significant updates to ensure continued relevance in today’s legal research landscape:
- 1,131 total updates, including:
- 781 brand-new abbreviations and acronyms.
- 350 new definitions added to existing entries.
- Expanded subject coverage to reflect the increasing intersection of law with science, medicine, and technology.
- Refined entries that reflect evolving citation trends—including versions with and without periods—to align with diverse legal writing practices.
- Continued dual-format organization, supporting both forward and reverse lookup of abbreviations for maximum utility.
This edition builds on decades of editorial excellence and remains a vital resource for legal citation and abbreviation work across disciplines.
Key Highlights
Global Coverage
Includes terms from U.S. federal and state courts, agencies, organizations, and international legal sources.
Appendices
Details about U.S. Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and other federal courts enhance the book’s utility as a research tool.
Clear Organization
Use the forward dictionary to understand abbreviations, and the reverse dictionary to generate them from known titles or phrases.
Who is this Book for?
The 8th edition of Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations is intended for a broad range of legal professionals and institutions who regularly encounter abbreviations in legal texts, research, and citation work, such as:
- Attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries who regularly work with legal documents and citations.
- Law students and educators involved in legal writing, citation, or journal editing.
- Law librarians supporting research and citation verification in academic, firm, or court settings.
- Legal researchers and scholars interpreting abbreviations in U.S. legal literature.
- Citation professionals using tools like The Bluebook for legal writing accuracy.
Extensive Coverage, Practical Design
Forward & Reverse Lookup
Use the traditional A–Z list to decode an abbreviation or flip to the reverse directory to find the correct abbreviation for a given title, source, or term.
Extensive Coverage
Covers nearly 36,000 abbreviations and acronyms from across the landscape of American legal literature, all compiled in a single, definitive reference.
Updated & Expanded
Features over 1,100 new entries and 350 updated definitions, with expanded coverage of modern scientific, medical, and legal research terms.
About the Author: Mary Miles Prince
Mary Miles Prince is a distinguished legal scholar and librarian whose career has spanned over four decades. She served as Associate Director for Library Services at the Vanderbilt Law Library and as a Lecturer in Law at Vanderbilt Law School, where she taught generations of students the fundamentals of legal research.
In addition to her academic roles, Mary was the Coordinator for the Tennessee Supreme Court Libraries, overseeing vital legal resources for the state judiciary. She began editing this esteemed publication in the mid-1980s and continued her editorial work for over three decades, including her tenure as editor of Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Citations until 2021.
Mary also played a pivotal role in shaping legal citation standards nationwide. She served as Coordinating Editor for five consecutive editions of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation—the Seventeenth through Twenty-First editions—cementing her legacy as a leading authority in legal bibliography and citation.
Order Your Copy Today!
Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, 8th Edition
A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students
Author: Mary Miles Prince
Item #: 1249
ISBN: 9780837740393
Pages: xi, 1177
1 Volume…$115.00
Published: Getzville; William S. Hein & Co., Inc.; 2025
*Standing order customers automatically receive this title
