Access more databases via: NUS Libraries > Databases > Subject > Law
See also: Guide to Electronic Resources Collection.
* Open access database
English for Academic Legal Purposes (EALP) texts are specifically written to help students familiarise themselves with the norms and practices of legal English. Here is a selection of these books:
Common law legal English and grammar: a contextual approach / Alison Riley and Patricia Sours; Hart, 2014 (KB273.2 Ril 2014)
Suitable for non-native speakers, this book adopts a linguistic approach in explaining the rules and structures of legal English.
Introduction to legal English: an introduction to legal terminology, reasoning and writing in plain English / Mark E. Wojcik; International Law Institute, 2000 (KB273 Woj)
The lawyer's English language coursebook / Catherine Mason; 2nd ed; Global Legal English, 2016 (KB12 Mas 2016)
Useful for understanding the terminology of different major common law topics.
Legal English: how to understand and master the language of law / William R. McKay and Helen E. Charlton; 2nd ed; Pearson Longman, 2011 (KB12 Mck 2011)
Legal writing in plain English: a text with exercises / Bryan A. Garner; 2nd ed; University of Chicago Press, 2013 (KB273 Gar 2013)
A selection of books on legal writing generally:
Effective legal writing : a practical guide / Nichola Corbett-Jarvis, Brendan Grigg; 3rd ed; LexisNexis Australia, 2021 (KB273 Cor 2021)
The Elements of legal style / Bryan A. Garner; 2nd ed; OUP, 2002 (KB273 Gar 2002)
Guide to legal analysis and writing / Ong Ee Ing; LexisNexis, 2023 (KE5280 Ong 2023)
How to write better law essays : tools and techniques for success in exams and assignments / Steve Foster; 4th ed; Pearson, 2016 (KB273 Fos 2016; ebook available)
How to write law essays & exams / S I Strong; 6th ed; OUP, 2018 (KB273 Str 2022)
Legal reasoning and legal writing / Richard K. Neumann, Jr., Ellie Margolis, Kathryn M. Stanch; 9th ed; Wolters Kluwer, 2021 (KB273 Neu 2021)
Legal reasoning, research, and writing for international graduate students / Nadia E. Nedzel; 5th ed; Wolters Kluwer, 2021 (KB280 Ned 2021)
Legal skills : a complete guide / Sim Khadijah Binte Mohammed; Sweet & Maxwell, 2019 (KE5262 Sim 2019; ebook available)
Chapter 2: Objective Legal Drafting (for law essays)
Chapter 3: Persuasive Legal Drafting (for law memos)
Legal usage : a modern style guide / Peter Butt; LexisNexis Butterworths, 2018 (KB273 But 2018)
Legal writing : process, analysis, and organization / Linda H. Edwards; 7th ed; Wolters Kluwer, 2018 (KB273 Edw 2018) -- 8th ed. on order
The Pre-writing handbook for law students : a step-by-step guide / Laura P. Graham, Miriam E. Felsenburg; 2nd ed;
Carolina Academic Press, 2019 (KB273 Gra 2019)
Books providing guidance on how to write law dissertations:
Academic legal writing: law review articles, student notes, seminar papers, and getting on law review / Eugene Volokh; 5th ed; Foundation Press, 2016 (KB273 Vol 2016)
LLM dissertation: how to maximise marks for your practice focused dissertation / Suzanne Reece; Inspired to Study, 2018 (LB2369 Ree 2018)
Law dissertations: a step-by-step guide / Laura Lammasniemi; 2nd ed; Routledge, 2022 (KB233 Lam 2022; ebook available)
Scholarly writing for law students: seminar papers, law review notes, and law review competition papers / Elizabeth Fajans, Mary R. Falk; 5th ed; West Academic, 2017 (KB273 Faj 2017)
Writing law dissertations: an introduction and guide to the conduct of legal research / Michael Salter and Julie Mason (KB280 Sal 2007)
Selection of journals that focus on legal communications and/or writing:
*Open Access journal
1. Legal Dictionaries
Black's law dictionary / Bryan A. Garner, editor in chief; 11th ed; Thomson Reuters, 2019 (KB12 Bla 2019; ebook)
A dictionary of law / edited by Jonathan Law; 9th ed; OUP, 2018 (ebook)
Garner's dictionary of legal usage / Bryan Garner; 3rd ed; OUP, 2011 (KB12 Gar 2011)
Jowitt's dictionary of English law / Daniel Greenberg, editor; Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters, 2019 (KB12 Jow 2019)
2. Words and Phrases
Stroud's judicial dictionary of words and phrases / Daniel Greenberg, editor; 10th ed; Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters, 2020 (KB12 Str 2020)
Words and phrases legally defined; 5th ed; LexisNexis, 2018 - (ebook)
Guides on legal writing: