Legal Reference Books

this is one of the best bookd that I have ever read in my life. it was elegant, detailed and very moving.
Toobin portrayed each judges as fair as you can be.
I agree with all the positive comments sofar.
this is a must read for every student in colleges and law schools, and probably for every american who loves and cares about this country

The Supreme Court is a fascinating subject to me - everything from Time discussing Roberts and how the current court is working, to the interview with Scalia on 60 Minutes and I loved this book.

The discussions of some of the major cases and interaction amongst the justices brings these things to life.

Though you may agree or disagree with some of the justices opinions, or how they look at the law, it is worthwhile to see more about the individuals behind the decsions. To find out Scalia and Ginsburg are friends (which was also in the 60 Minutes Interview) is eye-opening and adds an extra dimension to the people who may in fact be the most powerful people in the country.

Well written and well worth it.

I found this book very enlightening. Prior to reading this book, I never really followed in detail the movements and history of the Supreme Court. I am not a lawyer but found the book fairly easy to follow and found the politics behind the members surprisingly interesting.

Of the three branches of government, far less is known about the inner-workings of the judiciary-and most specifically the Supreme Court-than the other two branches. Much of this is due to traditions that have developed over the years, but much is innate in the supposedly impartial, non-partisan and independent nature of the judiciary as envisioned by our founding fathers.

Jeffrey Toobin, CNN legal analyst and prize-winning author, has written an insightful, balanced and extremely readable "tell-all" on the modern Supreme Court, based largely upon thousands of interviews with past and present Supreme Court clerks. But this "tell-all" is not of the scandalous, scurrilous and titillating variety that has become derigueur of modern political reporting. This instead is a fascinating tale of the major political and historical events of the past 20 years as seen with the additional insight of its impact by and upon the Supreme Court and its justices.

With the possible exceptions of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court has been seen as largely anonymous individuals making occasionally significant decisions. Toobin not only gives a brief biography of each justice, but he also provides vital information that gives us insight into the background, personality and legal philosophy of these highly disparate individuals.

Toobin, although discussing sometimes complex legal arguments, is always able to examine the topic in such a manner that a layman can understand. This is true whether he is discussing the complexities of Roe v. Wade, affirmative action, Gore v. Bush (the 2000 presidential election), Guantanamo or gun control. The author spends considerable time discussing the important role of Sandra Day O'Connor and later Anthony Kennedy as the swing vote on the Supreme Court. All of these issues and more are described with their overlaying political and legal justifications and ramifications.

What we end up with is a fascinating story of people who can be alternately egotistical and compassionate, prejudiced and sympathetic, inflexible and caring-that is, undeniably human.

Toobin leaves us with the critical dilemma of choosing the next President that will most assuredly determine many closely called social and political decisions for generations to come.

Armchair Interviews says: Toobin gives us a clear picture of the Supreme Court and Judicial Branch.

The founding fathers would not like to read this book. It is well researched and presents a factual case to show that the highest court in the land is devoid of constitutional fortitude and is quite manipulative in its own manner. Not really what most americans expect.

The writing covering the elements of the key cases is quite interesting. Sections in between that show the games in the selection process were very chewey and not worth the shoe leather.

The writings giving insight to the lives of the justices and the relations between them are quite well done. It may not have been the point of the author,but he proved there are nuts on the court.

One reason the lay reader should pick up this book is to realize that the rule of law is a mere extension of the rule of politic. The lay man, common man, average joe may think he is protected by a constitution, but Mr. Toobin will show that it no longer exists. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the court will move from one 'analysis' of law to the other to fit personal opinions rather than concept of the constitution. Rationalization, justification, twistification and plain old 'because I said so' are what really drives the process behind the black robes.

And if you never knew it before, this book will show you why lawyers are better than the rest of us.

Bought this book for my son who is an attorney. I admire Judge Scalia and hopefully my son will find this book informative.

Justice Scalia is one of the most controversial justices of our time, and is not shy about sharing his views, whether you like it or not. I don't agree with him on most of his points, but I do enjoy his writings and speeches. He spends time thinking about what he believes in and why, long before he speaks. So even if you disagree with him, his reasoning is clear, well thought out, and thought provoking.

Having said that this book is flavored by Scalia's personality, but what he is saying is often correct. This is a book that law student should read, unfortunately this book has been written in response to the actions of practicing lawyers. Reading it makes me wonder what it is that law schools are teaching lawyers, the advice in this book seems to be common sense.

The book is an easy read and any person, layman, student, lawyer will be able to read this book and gain a better understanding of good writing, speaking, and research skills. I found my self even laughing out loud at some of the stories, and comments. I love all the quotes from prominent lawyers, and justices which are found through out the book.

I only gave this book four stars because I felt that although it is a well written, it fell short of the skill and depth that Justice Scalia is capable of. I have no argument with those who give it 5 stars, for all most anyone else it would be a 5 star work.

I'll be brief (no pun intended). If you are a lawyer or law student who wants to write better and more persuasive briefs - buy or borrow this book! I've completely changed my legal writing style after reading Judge Scalia and Garner's book.

This book is written for the first year law student and not an average lay reader. Reads like a textbook.

If you are a practitioner seeking insightful wisdom from a Supreme Court Justice to improve your advocacy skills, this book is not for you. Those who have taken a basic legal writing and/or moot court course will not find any new information here. Essentially, the authors have compiled highlights from a legal writing textbook, added a few quotes from famous judges and a few examples from their own experience, and billed this as a book of wisdom. It appears that most of the book was written by co-author Bryan Garner, drawing on the material from his past publications on the same subject, with Justice Scalia merely placing his name on the cover in order to sell more copies. This is evident by comparing the writing styles of the co-authors when they disagree at a few points in the book. Garner's entries read like the rest of the book; Justice Scalia's entries read like one of his court opinions. Overall, if you are a practitioner, you likely already have a legal writing book stashed away in a box from law school that will serve you just as well.

Great practice set for a more comprehensive study of the LSAT. Goes great with any study guide. The best way to ace the LSAT is to do as many tests as you can, time yourself, and review your mistakes.

if you are going to take the lsat, you need lots of practice and that is just what this book will give you. the answer sheet is identical to the real thing, and all of the answers and scoring are included so you will know just how you did on any test.

This book was well worth the money. If you are serious about taking the LSAT, you must commit to sitting down and taking real, timed tests. This book gives you ten to use, and it's great.

For all the people out there that look forward to taking the LSAT (note sarcasm). This is the official test in all its glory. While I have yet to take the Lsat I am ready and waiting to take it in October. I think these tests have helped me get a better understanding of the beast. A must purchase to understand the Lsat's. Best way to take them. Timed. Good luck.

Good book, and a good resource for extra practice. However, the tests are ten years old and a newer version of this book may be helpful as well.

I'm finding my torts class difficult at times, so I'm glad to have this book for my text. It has a lot of examples to illustrate each concept, which is helping me grasp all the ideas pretty well. Also, the book is not nearly as expensive as a lot of textbooks, so I feel I'm getting my money's worth out of it.

I found this book to be too meandering to be much help in studying for my torts final. Maybe it's something to do with the subject. Some of the simpler topics were beaten to death, and I never ended up getting through the whole thing.

I just recently took an intro Torts class and I found that this book was very helpful in preparing me for my exam. The only required reading for my class was a Torts case book, but I have found that the recommended/supplemental reading books (such as this one) are just as beneficial for clarifying some less-direct topics.

Though I ended up not having much use for this book due to my professor's distinctive teaching methodology, I still found it helpful in clarifying the basic concepts of Torts. The author injects a slightly dorky sense of humor into the narrative, which makes the information more accessible and easier to grasp. He also has a very clear, conversational writing style. Overall recommended (at least if you don't have my Torts professor).

Glannon is fantastic. This is a great book to review before exams, and it also is a great value!

This book gave a lot of details on how to organize your application. Very useful with great recommendations.

I used the previous edition of the book in 2006 (green cover) and it helped me get into a top 5 business school. In fact I got into both the top 5 schools that I had applied to.

My advice to applicants is to pay special attention to essays and recommendation letters. If the writers are too busy, write one up for them (call it a template) and let them edit it. That way you can get them to say what you want them to say more or less.

Spend a LOT of time on the essays, they can make or break you more than the GMAT. Read them over and over again, read them aloud, have someone read them to you and have them reviewed by someone who got into the school you want to get into. The sample essays in the book were great to know what kind of information the admissions committee would look for. I took as much as 30 days of every day work to get my essays in the form that I was happy with.

Montauk's book guides you through this process and that was the only book I used.

This is a huge book, worthwhile and seems complete. I also have the Your MBA Game Plan: Proven Strategies for Getting into the Top Business Schools, and this book is ten times the size. I have yet to read the whole thing and probably will never; however it is easy to find the data I need for my search. I also like the discussions about why and where to go, not just the how like in other books.

I think it's one of the most complete guides for the subject. It covers many different topics in a very sound way which many other books "try to" cover in hundred of pages.

This book is the bible for getting into the top MBA schools. I am currently in the process of applying to some of the top schools and have talked to a lot of current and recent grads, all of whom swear by this book. It walks you through all the steps required and the right way to approach the situation. I had my first round interview last week and knowing how the different schools differ in their approach helped tremendously.

STILL TBD on if I'm successful in my bid for the top schools but so far, I feel I'm getting all the right insider tips from this book.

...that was the most surprising thing to come out of buying and reading the book. It's a great read - clearly written and actually entertaining. It gives a very solid foundation of knowledge.

I'm not being law-snobby, I promise.

I bought the book because I was struggling to get my head around remedies, and although it helped, I ended up buying Lexis' "Understanding Contracts," too.

I should disclaim that what follows is based on the remedies section (that's all I used it for). That's a big piece of contracts, but maybe the rest of the book, which I didn't explore, is better.

Okay, here goes:

I found the E&E book to be imprecise with some concepts and vocabulary. It could be my own quirkiness, but to me that imprecision was maddening. In one paragraph, a plaintiff had "moved," "pled" and also "applied" for summary judgement. Applied??? SJ isn't a credit card! And it's not a pleading for that matter, either.

If you find these types of imprecision trivial, the book might be for you. They left me wondering if there were any important issues being confused, as well. We all know that law exams ask us to identify doctrinal issues, weight them, and (if the opportunity presents itself) apply the particular policy analysis that our respective professors find endearing. The extent to which a secondary source like E&E leads us astray on the doctrine is the same extent to which we will be led astray on our exams.

If you are like me, you should buy "Understanding Contracts" from the corporate mongers at Lexis. I felt like the concepts and vocabulary were applied in a more precise, crisp way. It will save you from trying to infer what the author is trying to say from what the author did say, and it will save you from writing snooty remarks and question marks in the margin -- time you could be spending learning Contracts.

i just got this so i'll just tell you what i noticed so far.

1) the pages aren't all numbered. so you can find something in the index and not find the page. not sure what the rational is for this but it's not helpful. a few pages numbered, then nothing, then a few more numbered, again nothing and so on.

2) on page 23 (i assume) the following sentence appears:
"The first ten Amendments collectively are commonly known as the Bill of Rights. History"

i find this confusing. the word "History" is not part of a sentense, has no punctuation, and it is followed by nothing. the rest of the page is blank. this looks to me like an obvious misprint.

so i'm not exactly confident in the book. and yes it is more like a pamphlet.

Of course this is an awesome book b/c it is about the documents that this great country is based upon! I do believe that the size and type of binding should be advertised more. This is more of a pamphlet than a book!

I think every American citizen should read this. Our government has drifted so far from what the Constitution originally intended, and most people haven't got a clue about it. This is a very handy booklet to have around! Get it, read it, and form YOUR OWN beliefs about government and stop listening to everyone else trying to give you their version!

Read it, know it, live it. If things keep going they they have with people not caring about the Constitution, we won't have. You know the adage, ignore it and it will go away, it's very true for the constitution. The 2008 RNC is a standout example of this where the police were not only suppressing the free speech of the demonstrators but also beating and arresting registered members of the press with press credentials clearly displayed. This was not just here and there accidents or misunderstandings. This was an organized act of suppressing the media. They threatened them with drawn weapons and beat them. The only way to stop the rise of fascism is to step up and protect your rights and the rights of your neighbors. Make know mistake, fascism is here. It's not just starting, it is well entrenched. Are you going to stand by, like the citizens of Nazi Germany, and do nothing. How long until dissidents start disappearing? We already have prison camps. Don't think your citizenship will protect you from being sent off somewhere. Just as soon as the government thinks you're apathetic enough, they will declare martial law and you will be required to have travel papers to go from city to city. This is deadly serious stuff. It makes me cringe whenever our government criticizes another government for suppressing their citizens rights. I didn't used to feel that way. I used to be proud of our government now our government is an embarrassment. If you think Obama's going to fix it, think again. The guys already sold out, just examine his recent voting record.

I bought this print of the U.S. Constitution at first because my pocket Constitution had almost fallen apart.
When I got it in the mail I thought it was very pretty, but I was a little surprised at how large the print was. The print IS very large - so I guess it would be helpful for those who have bad vision, it isn't a BAD characteristic of the layout of the book, I was just surprised.
It is also very helpful because it holds The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and The Articles of Confederation.
I am very pleased with it!
And I thought it was very humorous when amazon emailed me asking if I would give a review of the U.S. Constitution. HAHA!

received on time; good condition however i thought i have paid for new dictionary and its was slidley used.

It's been a long while since I bought my last Blacks almost 30 yrs. ago. I wanted my daughter to have the primary tool every law student should have. When it arrived I was immediately struck by the deteriorated quality of the cover, followed by the deteriorated quality of the printing, paper and binding. For a research tool which will hopefully endure constant usage I don't believe it will survive the task.

A wonderful resource for anyone associated with law. Thorough, effortless and exponentially helpful. The hardback version protects the contents from weathering.

If you do legal work at home, this dictionary is essential to have there. As a law student, I have unlimited access to the Westlaw version of Black's, but there are a great deal of missing entries in that format. I have literally never tried to look up a word in the hardbound version without finding it--not so with the online or pocket versions. It is also an excellent citation source for basic legal facts, something you can't do with the internet version because of the lack of page numbers. Perhaps a little expensive for a student, but this sturdy, long-lasting volume will pay for itself by saving you time.

I am very pleased with this purchase. It will be used for a long time.