This reference work was born from the need for a comprehensive dictionary of Latin American legal abbreviations. It covers legal abbreviations from Latin America, Brazil, and Spain (included because of its close historical association with Latin America and its influential legal tradition). Abbreviations are listed if they relate to the three branches of government, governmental actions, legal associations, businesses, banking, and commercial terms related to law, dates, and major geographical regions. Also included are selected European legal terms closely associated with the Latin American legal tradition. A typical entry provides as much as possible of the following information: abbreviation/acronym; meaning or phrase; country/countries of origin or usage; and English translation. This first major work of its kind belongs in the libraries of legal and commercial firms doing business in Latin America. Law and academic libraries and government and international organization libraries will also want to add this book to their collections.

This book is a complete reference work to more than seventeen thousand domestic and international abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols used in contemporary legal literature.

Challenges the distorted hegemonic accounts of Latin American law and reveals their geopolitical and economic consequences in the world today.