The first edition was published in 1891 by West Publishing, with the full title A Dictionary of Law: containing definitions of the terms and phrases of American and English jurisprudence, ancient and modern, including the principal terms of international constitutional and commercial law, with a collection of legal maxims and numerous select titles from the civil law and other foreign systems.

The eighth edition introduced a unique system of perpetually updated case citations and cross-references to legal encyclopedias.

[4] In addition, the applicable entries provide pronunciation transcriptions pursuant to those found among North American practitioners of law or medicine.

An online version of the tenth edition can be accessed through the paid Westlaw legal information service, and is available as an application for iOS devices.

[5] The second edition of Black's Law Dictionary, published in 1910, is now in the public domain and is widely reproduced online.