I’ve been working in law libraries for a long time—long enough to have been stumped more than once by an obscure, outdated, foreign, or plain weird citation. You know the kind: no context, acronym or abbreviation that makes sense, or no clear jurisdiction, and absolutely no interest in making your day easier.

Over the years, my secret weapon for untangling these puzzles has been Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, and it remains a favorite. Truth be told, I still call it Bieber’s, which longtime legal researchers will immediately understand.

Yes, citations can be searched online now. But when you’re dealing with truncated legal citations that span decades and jurisdictions with shifting publishing conventions, various editors and authors, and title changes —  a dependable, curated, and regularly updated print source is often faster and far more dependable, than chasing search results down a online rabbit hole. And Prince’s is even more comprehensive than the Blue Book’s appendices.  Prince’s reverse dictionary is an invaluable feature when you know what you’re looking at—but not what it stands for.

Prince’s — now in its 8th Edition! — is part of NYLI’s Reference colleciton

One legal research site describes Prince’s (formerly Bieber’s) Dictionary as “a tool that helps researchers “crack the code”. That description couldn’t be more accurate.  As a legal researcher, I can confidently endorse anything that truly functions as a secret weapon for cracking the code. Prince’s Dictionary earns that endorsement again and again.  Sometimes, print tools really are the best.

NYLI’s copy of the 8th edition of Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, by Mary Miles Prince (Hein, 2025), is available for quick access at our reference desk.

Members can stop by a visit and see our newly renovated space... &, as always , NYLI is just an email or phone call away….