Skip to Main Content

Resources for Law Journal Staff: Deciphering Abbreviations

The Bluebook

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21th ed. 2020), RESERVE KF245 .B58 2020

Several copies are on reserve.
Also available in an online subscription at https://www.legalbluebook.com and as an app for your iPhone or iPad at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rulebook/id454619081.

 

How can I figure out what an abbreviation or acronym stands for?

 

Mary Miles Prince, Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations (7th ed. 2017), KF246 .B46 2017 The front of the book alphabetically lists abbreviations and acronyms found in legal citations and provides the full name of the source, while the back of the book starts with the source and provides the abbreviation.

Igor I Kavass & Mary Miles Prince, World Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations (1991-), K89 .K38 1991 (Looseleaf-latest update in our library is 2006) Deciphers legal abbreviations from dozens of countries around the world.

All That JAS http://www.abbreviations.com/jas.php  Look up a journal by its abbreviation.  Covers all disciplines.

Acronym Finder http://www.acronymfinder.com Free online guide to the meaning of over one million abbreviations and acronyms.

GovSpeak: A Guide to U.S. Government Acronyms & Abbreviations http://libguides.ucsd.edu/govspeak Free online guide to the meaning of U.S. federal government acronyms and abbreviations.

Contact Our Reference Librarians

Barry Law Library Reference Librarians
LawReferenceLibrarians@barry.edu
Main Phone: (321) 206-5700
Schedule a Personal Research Consultation (PERC):
LawReferenceLibrarians@barry.edu 


Jason Murray, JD, MSLS
Tenured Reference Librarian
Associate Professor of Law Library
jwmurray@barry.edu
(321) 206-5725

Cynthia Barnes, JD
Reference Librarian
Assistant Professor of Law Library
cbarnes@barry.edu
(321) 206-5729

Kim Wilson, JD, MSIS
Reference Librarian
Assistant Professor of Law Library
kwilson@barry.edu
(321) 206-5728