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Legal Information Resources (STA): Abbreviations

This subject guide profiles legal information resources that are available via The Alma Jordan Library (AJL), Campus Libraries, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus (STA).

Abbreviations: Introduction

Legal writing makes much use of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms. These abbreviations refer to journals, law reports, and more. 

The Alma Jordan Library's (AJL) collection includes a few dictionaries of legal abbreviations. Legal reference works (e.g., other dictionaries) and books may also contain relevant lists/tables of abbreviations, and so too may the various legal citing and referencing style manuals. Check the preliminary (front) pages, table of contents, appendices of those publications.

 

There are also websites that offer guidance on legal abbreviations.

Abbreviations: Selected Titles – Dictionaries (AJL)

Index to legal citations and abbreviations / Donald Raistrick ; foreword by the Rt. Hon. The Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, President of the Supreme Court

This publication includes abbreviations from the United Kingdom (UK), the Commonwealth, Europe and the United States of America (USA).

Prince's dictionary of legal citations / a reference guide for attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals, and law students.

Abbreviations: Selected Titles – Citing & Referencing Manuals (AJL)

k OSCOLA : Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities / [edited by Donal Nolan, Sandra Meredith]

See "s. 4.2: Abbreviations."

ALWD guide to legal citation / Association of Legal Writing Directors and Coleen M. Barger, professor of law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law

This is a US citation style. See Appendices, e.g., "Appendix 4: Court Abbreviations," "Appendix 5: Periodical Abbreviations."

The bluebook : a uniform system of citation / compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal

This is a US citation style. See Tables, e.g. "Table T7: Court Names," "Table T15: Services."

Guide to foreign and international legal citations / New York University. School of Law.

See individual chapters on citation guides by country, international organisations and related tribunals, and international and regional tribunals for relevant abbreviations.