Staff Picks: The Little Black Dress of Legal Resources!

ByEmily Moog July 28, 2025August 19, 2026

In 1926, French designer Coco Chanel published a picture of a short, simple black dress in Vogue Magazine, and it was immediately hailed as “the frock that all the world will wear.” Since then, designers such as Dior, De Givenchy, Donna Karan and most recently Carly Cushne have all put their own spin on the “LBD”…

From Audrey Hepburn… to Barbie… to Princess Di… to Tina Turner… they’ve all worn the LBD! Learn everything you need to know about the “LBD” from Vogue Editor Hamish Bowles…by clicking on this YouTube Video….

And like Chanel’s initial creation, my own favorite legal source — also with Black in the title! –has been updated and revised by every succeeding generation. The Little Black Dress may indeed be THE dress, but if you are making your case, keep in mind that Black’s Law Dictionary is the most cited law book in the world.

***12 editions of Black’s.. & NYLI has them all!***

Now in its 12th Edition and regarded as a definitive legal authority, Black’s Law Dictionary was first published in 1891. The original preface describes the work as “a concise and yet comprehensive book of definitions of the terms …necessary to be understood by the working lawyer and judge, as well as student…”.

Imported French Fabrics; NYPL Public Domain Image

And much like the “LBD,” Black’s Law Dictionary continues to be the enduring “go to” for all occasions — Consider – since 2000, approximately 250 U.S. Supreme Court cases have cited Black’s Law Dictionary. With its 70,000 terms and thousands of authoritative citations and quotations, Black’s Law Dictionary is sure to put the finishing research touch on any brief, law review or oral argument.

Yours Truly… alas, not in my LBD- at a recent Book Club meeting at NYLI . No doubt I’m running off to get a copy of the latest Black’s Law Dictionary!