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Alexander G. McKnight (1878-1950).
Charles G. Laybourn (1851-1919).
James B. Bancroft (1922-1970).
Francis V. Comfort (1853-1954).
George H. Sullivan (1867-1935).
Judge Abner Comstock Smith, "The Judiciary of Meeker County" (1877).
Judge Samuel M. Flint (1818-1881).
In Memoriam: Justice F. R. E. Cornell (1821-1881).
Arnold P. Rose, "The Bar of Lyon County" (1912).
Joel Michael, "How the Senate Lost its Stagger: The Story of an Attorney General's Opinion that Changed the Legislature".
George N. Hillman: "Some Judges and Lawyers I Have Known" (1927).
Photographs of Historic Federal Courthouses in Minnesota.

























































































Viewing Rare Law Book Room Category (136) found:


Adolphus George Charles Liddell, "Notes from the life of an Ordinary Mortal" (1911).

Adolphus George Charles Liddell (1846-1920) was a lawyer and fixture in English society in late 19th century. He was by profession a lawyer--but not a successful one. In court he was plagued by self-doubt. In 1911 he published a candid memoir, "Notes from the Life of An Ordinary Mortal, Being a Re...

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"Antiquities of the Inns of Court and Chancery" (1804).

In 1804 W. Herbert, who most certainly was a lawyer, published descriptions of the four courts of England: Chancery, King's Bench, Common Pleas and Exchequer followed by accounts of the operations of the Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Inns of Chancery, Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn and Serjeants' Inn. ...

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Henry Adams, "Essays in Anglo-American Legal History" (1876).

Henry Adams (1838-1918) was a historian, journalist, novelist and memoirist. He was besides a professor of medieval history at Harvard University from 1870 to 1877, when he and his wife moved from Boston to Washington, D. C. In 1876, he edited and published "Essays in Anglo-American Legal History," ...

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James Barr Ames, "Lectures on Legal History" (1913).

After graduating Harvard Law School in 1872, James Barr Ames (1846-1910) served on its faculty to death in 1910. For the last fifteen years he was its Dean. From the mid-1889s to the mid-1890s he delivered sixteen lectures on aspects of legal history at the Law School; over the decades he also publ...

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J. B. Atlay, "The Victorian Chancellors" Volume 1 (1906).

Lords Lyndhurst, Brougham, Cottenham and Truro are the subjects of the first volume of James Beresford Atlay's biographies of Victorian Chancellors published in 1906. ...

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J. B. Atlay, "The Victorian Chancellors" Volume 2 (1908).

Lords St. Leonards, Cranworth, Chelmsford, Campbell, Westbury, Cairns, Hatherley, Selborne, Halsbury and Herschell are the subjects of the second volume of James Beresford Atlay's biographies of Victorian Chancellors published in 1908. ...

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Serjeant William Ballantine, "Some Experiences of a Barrister's Life" (1882).

Serjeant William Ballantine (1812-1887) describes many colorful barristers and judges he encountered during his decades at the bar. His memoir is noted for its many amusing anecdotes about his fellow barristers and the judges who presided over their cases. ...

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Serjeant William Ballantine, "The Old World and the New" (1884).

Here Serjeant Ballantine (1812-1887) recounts his impressions of the United States, which he visited in 1882-1883, and relates many memorable, amusing anecdotes of his life at the English bar. The book is a "continuation" of his memoir "Some Experiences of a Barrister's Life" (1882). ...

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Sir Jonah Barrington, "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" Volume 1 (1827).

Sir Jonah Barrington (1760-1834) was an Irish lawyer, politician and Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, from which office he was removed by act of Parliament in 1830. His "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" was published in a two volume set in 1827, and a third volume added in 1832. The fir...

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Sir Jonah Barrington, "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" Volume 2 (1827).

Sir Jonah Barrington (1760-1834) was an Irish lawyer, politician and Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, from which office he was removed by act of Parliament in 1830. His "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" was published in a two volume set in 1827. They were very popular. A third volume was...

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Sir Jonah Barrington, "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" Volume 3 (1832).

Sir Jonah Barrington (1760-1834) was an Irish lawyer, politician and Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, from which office he was removed by act of Parliament in 1830. The first two volumes of his "Personal Sketches of His Own Times" were published in 1827 and are posted elsewhere on this website...

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Albert J. Beveridge, "The Life of John Marshall" Volume 1 (1916).

Albert Jeremiah Beveridge (1862-1927) was a progressive Republican Senator from Indiana from 1899 to 1911. After he was defeated in a bid for re-election in 1910, he became a biographer of John Marshall, who served as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835. Beveridge's ...

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Albert J. Beveridge, "The Life of John Marshall" Volume 2 (1916).

Albert J. Beveridge (1862-1927) was a progressive Republican Senator from Indiana from 1899 to 1911. After he left the Senate, he became a biographer of John Marshall, who served as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835. Later he began but did not complete a biography ...

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Albert J. Beveridge, "The Life of John Marshall" Volume 3 (1919).

The third volume of Albert J. Beveridge's biography of Chief Justice John Marshall, published in 1919, covers the years 1800-1815, the first fifteen years of his chief justiceship. It is subtitled "Conflict and Construction." In a "Preface" he writes:

"Marshall's great Constitutional...

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Albert J. Beveridge, "The Life of John Marshall" Volume 4 (1919).

The concluding volume of Albert J. Beveridge's biography of Chief Justice John Marshall was published in 1919. It covers the last two decades of his life, 1815-1835. It is subtitled "The Building of the Nation."

The four volume set was published between 1916 and 1919 by Houghton Mif...

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James Bradley Thayer, "John Marshall" (1901).

In 1901 James Bradley Thayer published a short biography of Chief Justice John Marshall. Written for the general public it was a reworking of speeches and a magazine article he had written on Marshall. It has no footnotes.

Thayer (1831-1902) was a professor at Harvard Law School from 18...

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William Heath Bennet, "Select Biographical Sketches from the Note-Books of a Law Reporter" (1867).

William Heath Bennet was an English barrister and author. In 1867 he published a book of sketches of six judges he had written for a weekly law journal: Lord Ellenborough, Sir Samuel Romilly, Lord Eldon, Lord Truro, Lord Campbell and Lord Lyndhurst. An Appendix had excerpts from letters and speech...

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George Sewell Boutwell, "The Lawyer, The Statesman and The Soldier" (1887).

In 1887 George Sewell Boutwell (1818-1905) published a study of four prominent men, each successful in a particular branch of public life: Rufus Choate (1799-1859), Daniel Webster (1782-1852), Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), and Ulysses Grant (1822-1885). It is posted here. ...

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Joseph P. Bradley, "Miscellaneous Writings" (1901).

Joseph Philo Bradley (1813-1892) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1870 to late 1891, when he retired. His writings on a variety of subjects were collected and together with a biographical sketch by his son and reviews of his "judicial record" by William Draper Lewis ...

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Gilbert Burnet, "Incidents in the Life of Sir Matthew Hale" (1832).

In 1832 the first American edition of Bishop Gilbert Burnet's "Incidents in the Life of Sir Matthew Hale, Exhibiting his Moral and Religious Character" was published. It also contained Rev. Richard Barter's "Recollections of Hale." Together they paint a very favorable portrait of Hale (1609-1676)...

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Gilbert Burnet, "Lives of Sir Matthew Hale and John Earl of Rochester" (1828).

Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715) was the Bishop of Salisbury and a well-known Scottish historian, who published several volumes on the life of Matthew Hale (1609-1676). Hale was a barrister, author, Chief Baron of the Exchequer, 1660-1671, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench, 1671-1676. In a dual biog...

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Mary Scarlett Campbell Hardcastle, "Life of Lord Chancellor Campbell" Volume 1 (1881).

John Campbell, First Baron Campbell (1779-1861), a lawyer and politician, served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1846-1850; Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, 1850-1859; and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain from 1859 to death on June 23, 1861.

In 1881 a two-volume biogr...

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Mary Scarlett Campbell Hardcastle, "Life of Lord Chancellor Campbell" Volume 2 (1881).

The second volume of a biography of John Campbell, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, edited by his daughter, Mrs. Mary Scarlett Campbell Hardcastle, is posted here. ...

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John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England from the Norman Conquest till the Death of Lord Tenterden" Volume 1 (3d Edition, 1874).

In 1849 Lord Campbell published the first two volumes of his four volume "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England from the Norman Conquest till the Death of Lord Tenterden."

In the first volume he recounts the terms of Chief Justices Staunton, Gascoigne, Tresiliam, Hankford, Popham,...

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John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England" Volume 2 (3d Edition, 1874).

In the second volume of his "Lives of the Chief Justices of England," Lord Campbell describes Chief Justices Hyde, Heath, Rolle, Glyn, Newdigate, St. John, Bradshaw, Foster, Kelynge, Hale (3 chapters), Raynsford, Scroggs, Pemberton, Saunders, Jeffreys, Herbert, Wrights and Holt (2 chapters).
...

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John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England" Volume 3 (1873).

This edition of Lord Campbell's "Lives of the Chief Justices" was published in New York in 1873. There is some overlap with the third English edition. It begins with two chapters on Holt, then turns to Ryder (2 chapters), Wills, Wilmot and nine chapters on William Murray, later known as Lord Mans...

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John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England" Volume 4 (3rd Edition, 1874).

In the fourth and final volume of his "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England from the Norman Conquest till the Death of Lord Tenterden," Lord Campbell gives biographies of Kenyon (5 chapters), Ellenborough (6 chapters) and Tenterden (3 chapters). ...

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Joseph Arnould, continuation of John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England" Volume 5 (American Edition, 1881).

Joseph Arnould added a fifth volume to John Lord Campbell's "Lives of the Chief Justices of England." Titled "Life of Thomas, First Lord Denham," it is the first volume of a book-length biography of Lord Denham, who served as Chief Justice from 1832 to 1850. This edition was published in 1881. <...

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Joseph Arnould, continuation of John Lord Campbell, "The Lives of the Chief Justices of England" Volume 6 (American Edition, 1875).

Joseph Arnould's second half of a book-length biography of Lord Denham, who served as Chief Justice from 1832 to 1850, was published in 1875. It ends with Denham?s death on September 22, 1854. It is called Arnould's "continuation" of John Lord Campbell's "Lives of the Chief Justices of England." ...

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"Arthur Cohen: A Memoir by his Daughter for his Descendants" (1919).

Arthur Cohen (1829-1914) was an English barrister and politician. He was called to the bar in 1857 and to the House of Commons in 1880. In its January 1915 issue, the Law Quarterly Review noted his passing:

"The death of Arthur Cohen has robbed the Bar of one of its glories. He came ...

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Julius Henry Cohen, "The Law:--Business or Profession?" (1910).

In an introduction to this provocative insider's examination of the ethics and responsibilities of the legal profession, Julius Henry Cohen 1873-1950) begins with a sharp-witted comment about lawyers' habits:

"Lawyers like to talk over their cases -- with lawyers. Whenever lawyers get t...

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William W. Cook, "Power and Responsibility of American Bar" (1922).

In 1922 William Wilson Cook published a short book (30 pages of text and 16 pages of endnotes) on the influence and responsibility of lawyers in the United States. He lists seven reasons why the bar is so influential:

"This power of the legal profession in America is hardly realized by ...

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"Memoirs of Former Members of the Conveyancing Club" (1907).

Biographical sketches of the first 69 members of The Institute, a Club of Conveyancing Counsel, were published in 1907. To be eligible for election to the Club, located in London, a candidate had to be admitted to the bar and practiced as a conveyancing counsel. Many members published articles and...

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Thomas Edward Crispe, "Reminiscences of a K.C." (1909).

Thomas Edward Crispe (1833-1911) was a prominent London barrister during the reign of Queen Victoria. His autobiography, published in 1909, has many colorful anecdotes of the courtroom--Frank Lockwood, Lord Cockburn and other judges make memorable appearances -- and about other famous persons at th...

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George Ticknor Curtis, "History of the Origin, Formation, and Adoption of the Constitution of the United States" Volume 1 (1860).

In 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, George Ticknor Curtis (1812-1894), a lawyer, former Whig, ally of Daniel Webster and historian, published the first volume of a history of the United States Constitution. In a "Preface" he states his view of the Constitution:

"The Constitution of ...

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George Ticknor Curtis, "History of the Origin, Formation, and Adoption of the Constitution of the United States" Volume 2 (1863).

In the midst of the Civil War, George Ticknor Curtis published the second and concluding volume of his history of the constitution. Here he describes the convention, the debates and the subsequent actions by the states -- reception, opposition and ratification. ...

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Joseph Arnould, "Memoir of Lord Denman" Volume 1 (1873).

Thomas, First Lord of Denman (1779-1854) was a lawyer, politician and Lord Chief Justice of England, 1832-1850. In 1873 he was the subject of a two volume biography by Sir Joseph Arnould (1813-1886), who served as Judge of the High Court of Bombay, 1862-1869. The first volume is posted here. ...

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Joseph Arnould, "Memoir of Lord Denman" Volume 2 (1873).

Thomas, First Lord of Denman (1779-1854) was a lawyer, politician and Lord Chief Justice of England, 1832-1850. In 1873 he was the subject of a two volume biography by Sir Joseph Arnould (1813-1886), who served as Judge of the High Court of Bombay, 1862-1869. The second volume is posted here. ...

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Arthur H. Engelbach, "Anecdotes of the Bench and Bar" (1913).

In 1915 Arthur Harold Engelbach (1862-1943) published a collection of humorous stories about lawyers and judges. Reader: Be prepared--it's page after page of memorable and repeatable legal humor. As for example:

Judge: 'How old are you?' Witness (a lady): 'Thirty.' Judge: 'Thirty! I h...

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Arthur H. Engelbach, "More Anecdotes of the Bench and Bar" (1915).

In 1915 Arthur Harold Engelbach (1862-1943) published a sequel to his 1913 book of humorous stories about lawyers and judges. The anecdotes in the second volume are as entertaining and memorable as the first. Take for example this story about Lord Eldon:

"John Clerk, afterwards Lord E...

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Charles Fairfield, "Some Account of George William Wilshere Baron Bramwell of Hever and his Opinions" (1898).

George William Wilshere Baron Bramwell (1808-1892) was called to the bar in 1838 and to the bench in 1856 when he was appointed to the Court of Exchequer. For the next twenty years he earned a towering reputation. In 1876, that court was abolished, and he was then appointed a Lord Justice. He reti...

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Henry Edwin Fenn, "Thirty-five Years in the Divorce Courts" (1910).

Henry Edwin Fenn (1850-1913) was a journalist who covered the probate and divorce courts in London for decades for "The Daily Telegraph." His memoir, dedicated to "My Dear Wife," was published in 1910. It is posted here--for all who wish to be both educated and entertained. ...

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George Harris, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke" Volume 1 (1847).

Philip Yorke, First Earl of Hardwicke (1690-1764), was a lawyer, Attorney General, Justice of the King's Bench, 1733-1737, and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, 1737-1756. A three volume biography of him by George Harris (1890-1890), a barrister, was published in 1847. Typical of many nineteen...

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George Harris, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke" Volume 2 (1847).

The second volume of George Harris's biography of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke covers the period 1742-1852, and includes a lengthy chapter on the trials of noblemen who opposed the Crown in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. ...

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George Harris, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke" Volume 3 (1847).

The final volume of George Harris's three volume biography of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, covering the period from 1754 to his death on March 6, 1764, is posted here. This volume concludes with letters and recollections of several acquaintances of the jurist. ...

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Philip C. Yorke, "The Life and Correspondence of Philip Yorke, Earl of Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain" Volume 1 (1913).

Philip Yorke, First Earl of Hardwicke (1690-1764), was a lawyer, Attorney General, Justice of the King's Bench, 1733-1737, and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, 1737-1756. A three volume biography by George Harris (1890-1890), a barrister, was published in 1847. A later set, also three volumes,...

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Philip C. Yorke, "The Life and Correspondence of Philip Yorke, Earl of Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain" Volume 2 (1913).

The second volume of Philip Chesney Yorke's three volume biography of Lord Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, 1737-1756, covers the period 1748 to 1756. ...

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Philip C. Yorke, "The Life and Correspondence of Philip Yorke, Earl of Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain" Volume 3 (1913).

The final volume of Philip Chesney Yorke's three volume biography of Lord Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, covers the period 1757 to the jurist's death in 1764. ...

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Francis Vaughan Hawkins, "A Concise Treatise on the Construction of Wills" (1885).

The second American edition of Francis Vaughan Hawkins's treatise on the construction of wills was published in 1885. The first edition of this book was published in England in 1863 and at least 44 editions have been published since.

James Bradley Thayer thought so highly of Hawkins (18...

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Frederick Andrew Inderwick, "The King's Peace: A Historical Sketch of the English Law Courts" (1895).

Frederick Andrew Inderwick (1836-1904) was an English barrister who specialized in probate and divorce cases. In 1895 he published "The King's Peace: A Historical Sketch of the English Law Courts." The phrase "King's Peace" refers to protections granted by the King at certain times for certain p...

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Henry Brodribb Irving, "The Life of Judge Jeffreys" (1898).

Henry Brodribb Irving (1879-1919) was an English stage actor, lawyer and author of two books of studies of English and French criminals. His revisionist biography of Judge Jeffreys (1645-1689) is probably his most famous book.

Jeffreys served as Lord Chief Justice, 1683-1685, and Lord...

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H. B. Irving, "Studies of French Criminals of the Nineteenth Century" (1908).

Henry Brodribb Irving (1879-1919) was an English stage actor, lawyer and historian who published books of studies of infamous criminals. His "Studies of French Criminals of the Nineteenth Century" was published a year before his death. In a "Preface" he writes of his case studies:

"T...

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H. B. Irving, "A Book of Remarkable Criminals" (1918).

Henry Brodribb Irving (1879-1919) was an English stage actor, lawyer and historian who published two books of studies of infamous criminals. In a "Preface" to "A Book of Remarkable Criminals" he relates an anecdote that should be a forewarning to all viewers who start reading it:

"I re...

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Cuthbert William Johnson, "The Life of Sir Edward Coke" Volume 1 (Second Edition, 1845).

Cuthbert William Johnson (1799-1878) was an English barrister and author of many books on law and agricultural subjects. In 1837 he published a two-volume biography, "The Life Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England in the Reign of James I, With Memoirs of his Contemporaries." A second editi...

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Cuthbert William Johnson, "The Life of Sir Edward Coke" Volume 2 (Second Edition, 1845).

Cuthbert William Johnson (1799-1878) was an English barrister and author of books on law and agricultural subjects. In 1837 he published a two-volume biography, "The Life Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England in the Reign of James I, With Memoirs of his Contemporaries." A second edition wa...

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Charles A. Kent, "Memoir of Henry Billings Brown" (1915).

Henry Billings Brown (1836-1913) served on the United States Supreme Court from 1890 to 1906. At the time of his appointment to the Court he had been a federal district court judge for Michigan over fifteen years. After his death on September 4, 1913, Charles A. Kent, a close friend, compiled h...

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James Kent, "Commentaries on American Law" Volume 1 (14th edition, 1896).

James Kent (1763-1847) was a New York lawyer, educator, jurist and author of one of the most famous and influential treatises on American law ever written. He served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 1804-1814, and Chancellor of New York (the presiding judge of the Court of Chancery), ...

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James Kent, "Commentaries on American Law" Volume 2 (12th edition, 1873).

James Kent (1763-1847) was a New York lawyer, educator, jurist and author of a famous and influential treatise on American law. He served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 1804-1814, and Chancellor of New York (the presiding judge of the Court of Chancery), 1814-1823.

He ...

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James Kent, "Commentaries on American Law" Volume 3 (12th edition, 1873).

James Kent (1763-1847) was a New York lawyer, educator, jurist and author of a famous and influential treatise on American law. He served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 1804-1814, and Chancellor of New York (the presiding judge of the Court of Chancery), 1814-1823.

He ...

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James Kent, "Commentaries on American Law" Volume 4 (13th edition, 1884).

James Kent (1763-1847) was a New York lawyer, educator, jurist and author of an influential treatise on American law. He served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 1804-1814, and Chancellor of New York (the presiding judge of the Court of Chancery), 1814-1823.

He is best kn...

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William Kent, editor, "Memoirs and Letters of James Kent" (1898).

James Kent (1763-1847) was a New York lawyer, educator, jurist and author of a most famous and influential treatise on American law--the four volume "Kent's Commentaries" published between 1826-1830. He served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 1804-1814, and Chancellor of New York (the...

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Marion Gleason McDougal, "Fugitive Slaves, 1619-1865" (1891).

This book is a compilation of short accounts of court cases over fugitive slaves and state and federal legislation on their escape, rescue, capture and return. ...

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J. E. G. de Montmorency, "John Gorell Barnes, First Lord Gorell" (1920).

John Gorell Barnes, the First Lord Gorell (1848-1913) was a British lawyer and judge of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice from 1892 to retirement in 1909. This biography of Lord Gorell was written by James Edward Geoffrey de Montmorency (1866-1934), an English ...

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Samuel G. Brown, "The Life of Rufus Choate" (1879).

Rufus Choate (1799-1859) was a famous trial lawyer, orator and two term congressman from Massachusetts (1841-1845). He is the subject of several biographies posted on this website, including "The Life of Rufus Choate" by Samuel Gilman Brown (1813-1885), then President of Hamilton College. The first...

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Edwin Percy Whipple, "Some Recollections of Rufus Choate" (1879).

Edwin Percy Whipple (1819-1886) was a public lecturer, essayist and literary critic in Boston. In 1879 he published a 90 page collection of colorful stories about Rufus Choate (1799-1859), the famous lawyer and orator. These anecdotes center on his law practice, exchanges with the judges he appeare...

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Edward G. Parker, "Reminiscences of Rufus Choate" (1860).

In 1860, Edward Griffin Parker (1825-1868) published a collection of reminiscences of Rufus Choate, the famous Boston lawyer, orator and congressman. Unlike many such collections of this period, Parker's was not loaded with excerpts from letters. Instead it has many engaging anecdotes of the man...

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Joseph Neilson, "Memories of Rufus Choate" (1884).

A quarter century after the death of Rufus Choate (1799-1859), the famous Boston lawyer, orator and congressman, Joseph Neilson published an analysis of his speeches and writings based on the recollections of over twenty friends, students in his law offices and brethren at the bar. The subtitle of ...

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R. Barry O'Brien, "The Life of Lord Russell of Killowen" (1901).

Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen (1832-1900) was a very successful barrister who later became Chief Justice of England, the first Catholic in centuries to hold that office. This biography by Richard Barry O'Brien (1847-1918) a lawyer, journalist and author of many books on Ireland, has ma...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "A General View of the Criminal Law of England" (1863).

Two decades before his acclaimed three volume "A History of the Criminal Law of England" was published, James Fitzjames Stephen wrote "A General View of the Criminal Law of England." In a "Preface" he elaborates on his aims: ?The present work is intended neither for practical use nor for an introdu...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "A History of the Criminal Law of England" Volume 1 (1883).

Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (1829-1894) was a lawyer, Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division,1879-1891, and prolific author of books on law.

In 1883 he published a three volume history of the criminal law of England. In the first volume, posted here, he tells how he...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "A History of the Criminal Law of England" Volume 2 (1883).

Many diverse subjects are covered in the second volume of Judge Stephen's history of the English criminal law: extradition, punishment, responsibility, madness, attempts, offenses against the state such as treason and crimes against religion, etcetera. ...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "A History of the Criminal Law of England" Volume 3 (1883).

Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (1829-1894) wrote many articles and books on the law, including a famous three volume history of English criminal law published in 1883. In the last volume of this history, posted here, Judge Stephen covers offenses against individuals such as murder, theft, forgery, etce...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "Essays by a Barrister" (1862).

In 1862 a collection of 33 essays by Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (1829-1894), a lawyer and later Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, 1879-1891, was published in London. They were first published in 1858-1860 in "The Saturday Review."

Unlike Stephen's other writi...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" (1873).

Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (1829-1894) was a lawyer, Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, 1879-1891, and prolific author of books on law. "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" published in 1873 while he was still a practicing barrister is his most famous book. Considered a classic...

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Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, "A Digest of the Criminal Law" (Fifth edition, 1894).

The first edition of Judge Stephen's "A Digest of Criminal Law" was published in 1877; the fifth edition by his sons, Sir Herbert Stephen (1857-1932) and Harry Lushington Stephen (1860-1945), both barristers, was published in New York in 1894.

The "Digest" is divided into six categor...

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Alexander Stephens, "A Memoir of the Life of John Philpot Curran" (1817).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was an Irish barrister, judge, politician and orator known for his quick wit in the heat of trial. After his death on October 14, 1817, several memoirs and collections of his speeches were published. One by Alexander Stephens is only 31 pages long and is posted here....

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William O'Regan, "Memoirs of the Legal, Literary and Political Life of John Philpot Curran" (1817).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a famous Irish barrister, judge, politician and orator. Following his death on October 14, 1817, a barrister William O'Regan quickly collected and published recollections and colorful anecdotes about Curran. The collection is posted here. ...

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William Henry Curran, "Life of John Philpot Curran" Volume 1 (1819).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a famous Irish barrister, judge, politician and orator. After his death his son, also a barrister, wrote a two volume biography of his father. The first volume is posted here. ...

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William Henry Curran, "Life of John Philpot Curran" Volume 2 (1819).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a famous Irish barrister, judge politician and orator. After his death his son, also a barrister, wrote a two volume biography of his father. The second volume is posted here. ...

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James A. L. Whittier, editor, "Speeches of John Philpot Curran While at the Bar" (1877).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a famous Irish barrister, judge, politician and orator. His summations were legendary. In 1877 James A. L. Whittier collected and published a collection of Curran's speeches delivered during various types of cases. Before each he describes its background and ...

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"The Life and Anecdotes of John Philpot Curran" (1880).

John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was a famous Irish barrister, judge, politician and orator. Colorful anecdotes, speeches defending Ireland and "humorous and witty bar jests" were collected and published in Dublin in 1880. ...

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Charles J. Darling, "Scintillae Juris" (1877).

Witty essays on lawyers, judges and trials by Charles J. Darling (1849-1936), an English lawyer and Justice of the High Court.

Darling's "On the Oxford Circuit and Other Verses" (1909) is posted separately. ...

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Charles J. Darling, "On the Oxford Circuit and Other Verses" (1909).

Charles John Darling (1849-1936) was an English barrister and Justice of the High Court. In 1909 he published this collection of poems on judges, lawyers and trials. ...

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Charles Noble Gregory, "Samuel Freeman Miller" (1915)

Samuel Freeman Miller (1816-1890) served on the United States Supreme Court from 1862 to 1890. In 1907 the State Historical Society of Iowa published the first biography of Justice Miller, written by Charles Noble Gregory, and it is posted here.

Miller has been of considerable interest...

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George Neilson, "Trial by Combat" (1890).

Legal dueling as a means of resolving disputes lasted from medieval times to the seventeenth century when it ceased. George Neilson's history of judicial combat--public and private duels--was published in Glasgow in 1890. It is posted here. ...

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Roger North, "A Discourse on the Study of Law" (1824).

Roger North (1653-1734) was an English lawyer, writer and biographer. His "Discourse on the Study of Law" published posthumously in 1824 is posted here. ...

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Roger North, "Autobiography of the Hon. Roger North" (1887).

The "Autobiography" of Roger North (1653-1734), edited by Augustus Jessopp, was published posthumously in 1887. North (1653-1734) was an English lawyer, biographer and author of "A Discourse on the Study of Law," published in 1824. North's autobiography is posted here. ...

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Archer Polson, "Law and Lawyers: A Sketch Book of Legal Biographies. Gossip, and Anecdote" (1858).

In 1858 Archer Polson republished a collection of rich, colorful anecdotes about the English and Scottish bar and bench of the 1700s and early 1800s that first appeared as a two-volume edition in 1840. A warning to readers: once started reading these anecdotes, it is hard to put down. For instanc...

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James Bradley Thayer, "A Preliminary Treatise on the Law of Evidence at Common Law" (1898).

James Bradley Thayer (1831-1902) was a professor at Harvard Law School from 1873 to his death in 1902. In 1898 he published a famous treatise on the law of evidence that began with a history of the jury trial. As he writes in a "Preface":

"By tracing the development of trial by jury,...

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James Bradley Thayer, "Legal Essays" (1908).

James Bradley Thayer (1831-1902) was a professor at Harvard Law School from 1873 to his death in 1902. Six years later a collection of his essays on a wide range of legal topics was published. It begins with his famous and influential essay on American constitutional law published in the "Harvard L...

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Horace Twiss, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon" Volume 1 (1844).

John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, (1751-1838) served as Lord High Chancellor of England from 1801 to 1806 and 1807-1827. In 1844 barrister Horace Twiss (1789-1849) published a three volume biography of him, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon with Selections from his Correspondence....

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Horace Twiss, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon" Volume 2 (1844).

John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, (1751-1838) served as Lord High Chancellor of England from 1801 to 1806 and 1807-1827. In 1844, barrister Horace Twiss (1789-1849) published a three volume biography of him, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon with Selections from his Correspondence...

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Horace Twiss, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon" Volume 3 (1844).

John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, (1751-1838) served as Lord High Chancellor of England from 1801 to 1806 and 1807-1827. In 1844, barrister Horace Twiss (1789-1849) published a three volume biography of him, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon with Selections from his Correspondence...

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William Edward Surtess, "A Sketch of the Lives of Lords Stowell and Eldon" (1846).

William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell (1745-1836) was an English Jurist who served as Judge of the High Court of Admiralty from 1798-1828. John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, (1751-1838) served as Lord High Chancellor of England from 1801 to 1806 and 1807-1827.

In 1846 William Edward Surtess (...

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E. S. Roscoe, "Lord Stowell, His life and the Development of English Prize Law" (1916).

William Scott, First Baron Stowell (1745-1836) served on the High Court of Admiralty, 1798-1826, and the Prize Court for many years. The Prize Court functioned only during time of war. This short study of the influence of Justice Stowell on the development of prize law was published in 1916 by Houg...

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Serjeant Robinson, "Bench and Bar: Reminiscences of One of the Last of an Ancient Race" (1889).

Serjeants-at-Law was a separate, elite order of barristers of the English and Irish bars that had a monopoly on cases before the Court of Common Pleas (where cases between individuals were tried without involvement of the Crown as a party). Serjeants was abolished in 1875. This explains the subt...

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Henry & Thomas Roscoe, "Westminster Hall or Professional Relics and Anecdotes of the Bar, Bench and Woolsack" Volume 1 (1825).

This is, the Preface announces, "A work of amusement, the subject matter of which is 'Law and Lawyers.'" The authors are Henry Roscoe and Thomas Roscoe. The first of the three volume set is posted here. ...

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Henry & Thomas Roscoe, "Westminster Hall or Professional Relics and Anecdotes of the Bar, Bench and Woolsack" Volume 2 (1825).

This is, the Preface announces, "A work of amusement, the subject matter of which is 'Law and Lawyers.'" The authors are Henry Roscoe and Thomas Roscoe. The second volume of the three volume set is posted here. ...

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Henry & Thomas Roscoe, "Westminster Hall or Professional Relics and Anecdotes of the Bar, Bench and Woolsack" Volume 3 (1825).

This is, the Preface announces, "A work of amusement, the subject matter of which is 'Law and Lawyers.'" The authors are Henry Roscoe and Thomas Roscoe. The final volume of the three volume set is posted here. ...

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Henry Roscoe, "Eminent British Lawyers" (1830).

Henry Roscoe (1800-1836) was called to the bar in 1826. Besides practicing law, he was a writer of treatises and a biographer. His "Eminent British Lawyers" was published in 1830 and is posted here. ...

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Samuel Freeman Miller, "Lectures on the Constitution of the United States" (1891).

Samuel Freeman Miller (1816-1890) served on the United States Supreme Court from 1862 to death on October 13, 1890. In the year before his death, he delivered ten lectures on the constitution to students at the Law School of the National University in Washington, D. C. Published in 1891 they are p...

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Sir Frederick Pollock, "Genius of the Common Law" (1912).

In 1911 Sir Frederick Pollock (1845-1937), a British barrister, legal historian and close friend of Justice Holmes, delivered a series of lectures on the common law at Columbia University in New York. They were published the following year, and can be found here. ...

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Peter C. Scarlett, "Memoir of Lord Abinger" (1877).

IN 1877 Peter Campbell Scarlett (1804-1881), an English diplomat, published a memoir of his father, "A Memoir of the Right Honourable James, First Lord Abinger, Chief Baron of Her Majesty's Court of Exchequer." Abinger (1769-1844) was called to the bar in 1791, where he achieved success. His son w...

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Frederic Hathaway Chase, "Lemuel Shaw: Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, 1830-1860" (1918).

Lemuel Shaw (1781-1861) served as the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1830 to 1860. There he issued influential rulings on railroads, the police power, the fellow-servant rule, municipalities and commercial law, among others.

He is the subject of three b...

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Benjamin P. Shambaugh, "History of the Constitutions of Iowa" (1902).

In 1902, the Historical Department of Iowa published a study of the first three constitutional conventions of Iowa written by Benjamin P. Shambaugh, a political science professor at the University of Iowa. The first two constitutional conventions were held before Iowa became a state in 1857. The cha...

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John Timbs, editor, "The Book of Modern Legal Anecdotes, The Bar, Bench and Woolsack" (1873).

John Timbs (1801-1875) published over 150 collections of stories, anecdotes and unusual facts about a wide-range of subjects. His compilation of anecdotes about the English bench and bar is posted here. ...

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William C. Townsend, "The Lives of Twelve Eminent Judges" Volume 1 (1846).

In 1846 William Charles Townsend published the two volume "The Lives of Twelve Eminent Judges of the Last and of the Present Century." The first volume has biographical sketches of the following seven jurists: Sir Francis Buller (1746-1800); Lord Kenyon (1732-1802); Lord Alvanley (1744-1804); Lord ...

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William C. Townsend, "The Lives of Twelve Eminent Judges" Volume 2 (1846).

In 1846 William Charles Townsend published the two volume "The Lives of Twelve Eminent Judges of the Last and of the Present Century." The second volume has biographical sketches of the following jurists: Lord Erskine, a long continuation from the first volume; Lord Redesdale (1748-1830); Sir Willi...

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Thomas A. Nash, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Westbury" Volume 1 (1888).

Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury (1800-1873), was a British lawyer, Liberal politician, and Lord High Chancellor, 1861-1865. In 1888 he was the subject of Thomas Arthur Nash's two volume biography, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Westbury, formerly Lord High Chancellor." The first volume is posted...

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Thomas A. Nash, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Westbury" Volume 2 (1888).

Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury (1800-1873), was a British lawyer, Liberal politician, and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, 1861-1865. In 1888 he was the subject of Thomas Arthur Nash's two volume biography, "The Life of Lord Chancellor Westbury, formerly Lord High Chancellor." The secon...

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Van Vechten Veeder, editor, "Legal Masterpieces" Volume 1 (1903).

A two volume of collection of "Specimens of Argumentation and Exposition by Eminent Lawyers" was published in 1903 by the Keefe-Davidson Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Eight years later, the editor, Van Vechten Veeder (1867-1942), was nominated to the Federal District Court in New York by President...

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Van Vechten Veeder, editor, "Legal Masterpieces" Volume 2 (1903).

The second volume of Van Vechten Veeder's collection of "legal masterpieces" reprints addresses by Benjamin R. Curtis, Wendell Phillips, David Dudley Field, William M. Evarts, Lord Bowen, James C. Carter and other famous American and English advocates.

Together the two volumes have 1...

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Charles Warren, "The History of the Harvard Law School and Early Legal Conditions in America" Volume 1 (1908).

In a "Preface" to the first volume of "The History of the Harvard Law School and Early Legal Conditions in America" Charles Warren writes:

"When I first began to write this history, I deemed it necessary to describe the legal conditions existing in Massachusetts at the date of the foun...

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Charles Warren, "The History of the Harvard Law School and Early Legal Conditions in America" Volume 2 (1908).

The second volume of Charles Warren's "History of the Harvard Law School" covers the period 1837 to 1907. Roughly 100 pages are devoted to Christopher Columbus Langdell. ...

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Charles Warren, "The History of the Harvard Law School and Early Legal Conditions in America" Volume 3 (1908).

The final volume of Charles Warren's history of Harvard Law School, 397 pages in length, lists the alumni of the school. In a "Preface" to the first volume, he explains:

"Volume III, containing the Alumni Roll, has not been written by me, but has been compiled by the publishers, subjec...

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Charles Warren, "A History of the American Bar" (1911).

Charles Warren (1858-1954) was one of the most important legal historians of the twentieth century. He was a superb scholar and a fine writer. These qualities can be found in his history of the American bar published in 1911. In a "Preface" he describes his purpose:

"It is an histori...

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Charles Warren, "The Supreme Court in United States History" Volume 1 (1922).

The first volume of Charles Warren's three volume history of the United States Supreme Court covers the period 1789 to 1821.

The set received the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. ...

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Charles Warren, "The Supreme Court in United States History" Volume 2 (1922).

The second volume of Charles Warren's three volume history of the United States Supreme Court covers the period 1821 to 1855.

The set won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. ...

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Charles Warren, "The Supreme Court in United States History" Volume 3 (1922).

The final volume of Charles Warren's three volume history of the United States Supreme Court covers the period 1856 to 1918.

The set was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. ...

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Samuel Warren, "The Moral, Social and Professional Duties of Attorneys and Solicitors" (1855).

In 1855 Samuel Warren (1807-1877), a Barrister-at-Law, published a set of four lectures on practicing law. In a Preface he writes: "One leading object of the author has been to show both attorneys and solicitors, and their clients, what are their reciprocal rights and duties: that both parties are...

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George Ticknor Curtis, "Life of Daniel Webster" Volume 1 (1870).

Daniel Webster (1782-1852), a lawyer, orator, statesman, U. S. Senator and Secretary of State under Presidents Harrison, Tyler and Fillmore, is the subject of numerous biographies. One of the first was a two volume set by George Ticknor Curtis (1812-1894), a lawyer, state legislator, political all...

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George Ticknor Curtis, "Life of Daniel Webster" Volume 2 (1870).

The second volume of George Ticknor Curtis's biography of Daniel Webster, covering the period 1832 to his death on October 24, 1852, is posted here. ...

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Peter Harvey, "Reminiscences and Anecdotes of Daniel Webster" (1877).

Peter Harvey (1810-1877), a merchant in Massachusetts and state legislator, was personally acquainted with Daniel Webster (1782-1852), a lawyer, orator, statesman, U. S. Senator and Secretary of State under Presidents Harrison, Tyler and Fillmore. Harvey's recollections and stories about his friend ...

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John Bach McMaster, "Daniel Webster" (1902).

John Bach McMaster (1852-1932), a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote several well-received histories of the United States. His biography of Daniel Webster (1782-1852), a lawyer, orator, statesman, U. S. Senator and Secretary of State under Presidents Harrison, Tyler and F...

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William N. Welsby, editor, "Lives of Eminent English Judges of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries" (1846).

William Newland Welsby (1802-1864) was called to the bar in 1826, but spent much of his life as Recorder of the city of Chester and writing and editing several multi-volume collections of court decisions and legal treatises including the fourth volume of Blackstone's "Commentaries" (24th edition, 18...

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Charles Whibley, "A Book of Scoundrels" (New Edition, 1912).

Charles Whibley (1859-1930) was an English journalist, author and editor of many books. In 1897 he left his usual bailiwick and published a collection of sketches of highwaymen, pickpockets and other "scoundrels." They are entertaining, as the following anecdote about Moll Cutpurse, accused of st...

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Joseph A. Willard, "Half a Century with Judges and Lawyers" (1895).

Joseph Augustus Willard had an eventful life before he became the assistant clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in Boston in 1846. Thereafter he rose in the ranks of the clerks, eventually becoming Clerk of the Superior Court. During the almost fifty years he worked in the clerk's office he heard a...

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William Wills, "An Essay on the Principles of Circumstantial Evidence, Illustrated by Numerous Cases" (Third edition, 1850).

William Wills was a solicitor in Birmingham who wrote a lengthy essay on principles of circumstantial evidence that he illustrated with actual cases. First published in 1838, Wills's essay became influential and popular as well.

William Twining, a legal historian of the first rank wit...

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Humphry William Woolrych, "The Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at- Law" Volume 1 (1869).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books including the two volume "Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at-Law" published in London in 1869. The first volume is posted ...

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Humphry William Woolrych, "The Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at- Law" Volume 2 (1869).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books including the two volume "Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at-Law" published in London in 1869. The second volume is posted...

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Humphry W. Woolrych, "The Life of the Right Honorable Sir Edward Coke" (1826).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books including the two volume "Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at-Law" published in 1869. His biography of Edward Coke was publ...

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Humphry W. Woolyrch, "Memoirs of the Life of Judge Jeffreys" (1827).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was a prolific writer of law books including the two volume "Lives of Eminent Serjeants-at-Law" (1869). He also wrote several biographies of judges, one bei...

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Humphry William Woolrych, "A Treatise of Legal Time With Its Computations and Reckonings" (1851).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books that included "A Treatise of Legal Time With Its Computations and Reckonings" published in London in 1851. It is post...

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Humphry William Woolrych, "A Practical Treatise on Misdemeanors" (1842).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books that included "A Practical Treatise on Misdemeanors" published in 1842. It is posted here. ...

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Humphry William Woolrych, "A Practical Treatise on the Law of Window Lights" (1833).

Humphry William Woolrych (1795-1871) was an English barrister, who was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1847 and made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1855. He was also a prolific writer of law books that included "A Practical Treatise on the Law of Window Lights" published in London in 1833. It is posted here. ...

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"Some Legal Phases of Corporate Financing, Reorganization and Regulation" (1917).

In 1917 seven lectures, delivered before the Bar Association of New York City the previous year, were published by the MacMillan Company under the title "Some Legal Phases of Corporate Financing, Reorganization and Regulation." The lectures were:

"Preparation of corporate bonds, mortg...

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