Statutory Interpretation: The Search for Legislative Intent

Statute reading doesn't have to be arduous. Designed to be read with a particular statute in mind, this handy guide is perfect for attorneys preparing for litigation, judges who need to understand the required and prohibited methods for statutory interpretations when bound by decisions of higher courts, and students seeking the tools of statutory interpretation.

The Second Edition has been revised to respond to comments and suggestions received as well as to update developments since the publication of the first edition. Additions include the inclusion of several traditional terms, and completely new sections about:

•  Statutory Construction: Construing the Statutes
•  Reductio Ad Absurdum
•  Attorneys' Fees
•  Shall, Must, and May: Mandatory or Permissive
•  Masculine and Feminine Terms
•  "And" or "Or" Conjunctive or Disjunctive
•  Singular and Plural Words
•  Last Antecedent: Reddendo Singula Singulis
•  Different Phrases in a Statute are Not Synonymous
•  Effective Date
•  Later Enactments and their Histories

A handy and valuable resource broadly relevant to almost every area of the law, this concise small-format book is your key to eliminating the ambiguities and inconsistencies that are often present in statutes, and provides critical analysis and practical applications of the art of statutory interpretation.

Ronald Benton Brown is Professor of Law at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. He is the author of a number of books on real property law, and over seventy professional publications.