Burton - Burtons legal thesaurus 5th edition: over 10,000 synonyms, terms, and expressions specifically related to the legal profession

Copyright 2013 by William C. Burton. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Thirty-fifth Anniversary/Fifth Edition

by
William C. Burton, Esq.
Author

Brian Burton, Esq.
Editor

Carina Finn
Assistant Editor

Executive Assistant
Jenise Hayes

Assistants
Vanita Vishnubhakat
Harold L. Harris

FIRST EDITION

Stephen C. DeCosta
Editor
Michal Hoschander Malen
Associate Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD

Legal Editorial Consultant
Joan Gudesblatt

Editorial Consultants
Barbara Wiberg Alverson Arlene Rogat

Editorial Assistant
Yvonne Antokas Montesantos

Compilation Editors
Dorit King Ethel Jane Osterman Camille Capobianco Taranto

Assistants
Karen Dritto Ronald M. Malen Michele M. Mandelbaum

WILLIAM C. BURTON, Esq., is an attorney and a partner in the law
firm of Sagat|Burton LLP. He is a former New York State Assistant
Attorney General and a former New York State Assistant Special
Prosecutor. As a writer, he compiled this book, which became the first
legal thesaurus ever written for the legal profession. When the book
was released, it was recognized as One of the Most Innovative and
Creative Projects of the Year by the Association of American
Publishers. Two decades later, he established The Burton Awards
program, which rewards the finest achievements in law, including
legal writing. The program is run in association with the Library of
Congress. In 2011, Mr. Burton was presented the highest honor given
by the second-largest association of law professors in America, The
Legal Writing Institute. At that time, he was recognized for
significantly advancing the cause of legal writing in the profession of
law. More recently, he was awarded the Blackstone Award by the
Friends of the Law Library of Congress for embodying and promoting
the best ideals of the institution.

The First and Most Comprehensive Legal Thesaurus of Its Kind

In the legal community absolute understanding is the measure of perfection. Perfection in the realm of the courts is the just resolution of issues of fact and questions of law. The primary tool for resolving conflicts among civilized people is through communication by written and oral language. The root of all language is the individual word.

In the English language, each word may have several meanings. Often, it is the use of a specific word or term upon which a case or controversy may hinge. Only by using precise language can the waters remain clear and unmuddied allowing justice to take its course unfettered by those who would mislead or misrepresent.

It is through the use of such a tool as the Legal Thesaurus that one may find the precise term to fit the nuances of a particular situation. It may be too much to expect such a tool to eradicate the confusion between scienter and malice. The difference between no law and no unreasonable law may also be beyond its scope. But it should clearly demonstrate that all deliberate speed is not synonymous with as slowly as feasible.

WILLIAM O. DOUGLAS

Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

19391975

OCTOBER 22, 1979

Editors Note: Justice Douglas served for over 36 years on the Supreme Court, which is the longest term in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. This foreword is now recorded as one of his last writings.

Before the publication of this book, lawyers and legal writers did not have their own thesaurus to assist them as they wrote their memoranda, motions, pleadings, articles, and communications. This book was compiled specifically to address that need and to provide lawyers and legal journalists with a reference tool to find all the words to fit a thought. Through its use, the goal is to reduce ambiguities and redundancies, replacing them with clear, concise, and plain language.

The fifth edition adds many new and contemporary words that augment the previous versions of the book. It also includes many words and expressions that lawyers use frequently as they practice their profession. It even includes concepts that are examined by the highest appellate courts in the nation.