The practice of law rests heavily on the incisive, pithy, and occasionally witty language of the best technical writing, and law-related themes are often found at the core of works of literature, politics, and other fields. The Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations is the most complete legal quotation dictionary ever published. It contains a comprehensive collection of the most famous passages from American judges and legal commentators as well as the wittiest sayings from literature, humor, motion pictures, and song lyrics relating to American law. Readers will even find a selection of "lawyer jokes." Containing over 3,500 quotations - many compiled here for the first time - the dictionary's coverage extends from the Mayflower Compact of 1620 to Clarence Thomas. America's most controversial legal issues, including abortion, censorship, affirmative action, sex discrimination, ethics, and civil rights, are reflected in quotations by famous Americans ranging from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Clarence Darrow, Abraham Lincoln, Thurgood Marshall, and Sandra Day O'Connor to Herman Melville, Louis Auchincloss, H. L. Mencken, Joyce Carol Oates, Lenny Bruce, and Oliver Stone. A valuable reference for lawyers, law students, and legal scholars, The Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations is also an outstanding source of information for general readers interested in American law.