Books in our collection that can help with terminology and definitions.
Black's Law Dictionary by 
Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law : Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Legal Questions by Periodicals (Secondary Source)
Periodicals are considered “secondary sources” (meaning they are not the “law”), used for legal research. They are comprised of law and law-related materials written by law faculty (articles) and law students (notes and comments). Law Reviews and Journals may be academic (when published by law schools) or professional (when published by Bar Associations or other organizations).
Periodicals are helpful for understanding a particular topic of the law and can also provide persuasive arguments regarding legal interpretations. They are located on the Second Floor of the Law Library, and are organized alphabetically by title. They do not have call numbers.
Treatises (Secondary Source)
Treatises (a fancy word for “extensively researched books that typically discuss one topic of law”) are also considered secondary sources. Many of these, as well as other study aids, are located in the Reserve Room and the Third Floor of the Law Library.
You can find treatises by subject, title or author using the Law Library's catalog.
American Law Reports (Secondary Source)
ALRs provide summaries for specific legal issues, and include references to case law, statutes, periodical articles, and other helpful resources. They are located on the First Floor of the Law Library.