Benjamin Jonson Shipman was born on Sept. 29, 1853, in Haddam, Connecticut, and died in Seattle, Washington, on August 31, 1915, at age 61. He practiced law in St. Paul for many years, concentrating on real estate and commercial matters. His business card in the 1892 edition of Hubbell's Legal Directory for Lawyers and Business Men lists his "specialties" as "Real Estate and Admiralty, Examination of Titles and Investments for non-Residents."
He wrote two books for West Publishing Company's "Hornbook Series." His book on common law pleading was published in 1894, with later editions in 1895 and 1923. His book on equity pleading was published by West in 1897. His two volume Civil Procedure in the District and Supreme Courts of the State of Minnesota: With Forms was published by Keefe-Davidson Company, St. Paul, in 1902.
His book on common law pleading was dedicated to his father, his second to United States District Court Judge Rensselaer R. Nelson (1826-1904), who served on the federal bench in Minnesota from 1858 to 1896:
"To the Honorable
RENSSELAER R. NELSON,
For many years Judge of the United States District Court
for the District of Minnesota, and often sitting in Equity Causes, --
In appreciation of his courtesy and consideration towards the younger members of the profession,
THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED."
Shipman's treatise on equity pleading was reviewed in two law journals: The Michigan Law Review and the American Law Register and Review. Those reviews are posted separately in the "Treatise/Textbook" category in the archives of the MLHP.
=============
Posted MLHP: August 14, 2016.
View Article