Over the past decades, distinguished authors has written many dozens of books on legal English. They are very useful, and each contributes to the description of this lovely theme. Let us take a look at the various types of legal English books, with a brief description of theit content:
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1st group: Dictionaries (monolingual and bilingual) for example: Black’s Law Dictionary
2nd group: books with a descriptive approach, containing essays on particular characteristics of legal texts. For example: Tiersma: The Oxford Handbook of Language and Law
3rd group: books focusing on grammar of legal texts, in a linguistic approach. Titles include: Bázlik: The grammatical system of legal English
4th group: books describing legal English grammar, with a user-friendly approach, providing all ligusitic options in specific topics, e.g. all linguistic options denoting likelihood, condition, referencing in legal English, in fact developing readers' command of legal English. For example: Szabó László: A User-Friendly Legal English Grammar
5th group: books developing learners’ legal English skills by exercises, exam preparation (IELTS, TOLES). For example: Lindner-Firth: Introduction to International Legal English
6th group: Terminology, grouped in categories of their practice areas. For example: Dr. iur Petz: Terminology of Civil Law
7th group: books covering historic issues, development of legal English, with or without description of legalese. For example: Melinkoff: The Language of Law, Tiersma: Legal Languag
8th group: books focusing on legalese and plain legal English, developing writer’s skills to write in plain legal English. For example: Garner: Legal Writing in Plain English, Wydick: Plain English for Lawyer
9th group: books describing practice areas, the terms in use in practice areas, and guidance on how to use these terms at native pro level. For example: Terminology of Property Law in Use, Terminology of Intellectual Property Law in Use, Terminology of Civil Procedure in Use, Terminology of Contract Law in Use, Terminology of Inheritance Law in Use
10th group: this group has a single book in it, describing legal English grammar, a number of practice areas, terminology of practice areas, and guidance on term usage, synonyms and antonyms of legal terms: A Practical Guide to English for Law, the first encyclopaedia of legal English.
When you decide that you mean to excel in legal English and roll up your sleeves, ready to take the trouble, then go for it, and have the first encyclopaedia of legal English.