Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Legal History (22)
- B. Tucker Dean Collection (5)
- History of Common Law (5)
- United States Supreme Court (5)
- Book review (4)
-
- Legal Education (4)
- Constitutional History (3)
- Courts (3)
- History of William & Mary Law School (3)
- John Marshall (3)
- Judicial Process (3)
- Legal Philosophy (3)
- Magna Carta (3)
- William Blackstone (3)
- 1779-1861 Documents (2)
- Administration of Justice (2)
- Civil Law (2)
- Civil Law Systems (2)
- Civil Rights (2)
- Common Law (2)
- Constitutional Interpretation (2)
- Ethics (2)
- Eulogies (2)
- George Wythe (2)
- Jurisprudence (2)
- Legal Interpretation (2)
- Legal Professions (2)
- Legal Theory (2)
- Legal history (2)
- Philosophy (2)
- Publication Year
Articles 1 - 30 of 67
Full-Text Articles in Law
Appealing Magna Carta, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Appealing Magna Carta, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
In 1999, Professor Richard Helmholz published Magna Carta and the Ius Commune, in which he argued that some of the ideas and language found in Magna Carta provide evidence that the early common law was engaging with the ius commune, the ancestor of modern civil law traditions. This Essay examines one piece of evidence highlighted by Helmholz and more recently by Professor Charles Donahue: that the Articles of the Barons, a preparatory document for Magna Carta, uses a phrase borrowed from canon law, appellatione remota (without possibility of appeal). Helmholz and Donahue pointed to its use as evidence that …
The Supreme Court Decisions On Guns And Abortion Relied Heavily On History. But Whose History?, Allison Orr Larsen
The Supreme Court Decisions On Guns And Abortion Relied Heavily On History. But Whose History?, Allison Orr Larsen
Popular Media
No abstract provided.
Were Justices Lawyers?, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Legal Genres, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Who Are The "We"?, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Putting The People Into Legal History, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Putting The People Into Legal History, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Popular Media
No abstract provided.
The Overly Familiar Treatise, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Fiction In The Code: Reading Legislation As Literature, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Fiction In The Code: Reading Legislation As Literature, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
One of the major branches of the field of law and literature is often described as "law as literature." Scholars of law as literature examine the law using the tools of literary analysis. The scholarship in this subfield is dominated by the discussion of narrative texts: confessions, victim-impact statements, and, above all, the judicial opinion. This article will argue that we can use some of the same tools to help us understand non-narrative texts, such as law codes and statutes. Genres create expectations. We do not expect a law code to be literary. Indeed, we tend to dissociate the law …
The Corpus Juris Civilis: A Guide To Its History And Use, Frederick W. Dingledy
The Corpus Juris Civilis: A Guide To Its History And Use, Frederick W. Dingledy
Library Staff Publications
The Corpus Juris Civilis is indispensable for Roman law research. It is a vital pillar of modern law in many European nations, and influential in other countries. Scholars and lawyers still refer to it today. This valuable publication, however, may seem impenetrable at first, and references to it can be hard to decipher or detect. This guide provides a history of the Corpus Juris Civilis and the forms it has taken, states why it is still an important resource today, and offers some tips and tools for research using it.
The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
Library Staff Publications
Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ordered the creation of the Corpus Juris Civilis, a compilation of the laws in force at the time, which would become a vital foundation for both the civil law and common law traditions. Important figures in the development of the United States' law used principles listed the Corpus as a guide, and to this day legal scholars and historians still refer to it. Despite its importance, the Corpus can seem impenetrable to researchers, citations to the Corpus enigmatic. This program will give a history of the Corpus, describe its components, and give participants tools for researching …
Creating A Literature For The King’S Courts In The Later Thirteenth Century: Hengham Magna, Fet Asaver, And Bracton, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Creating A Literature For The King’S Courts In The Later Thirteenth Century: Hengham Magna, Fet Asaver, And Bracton, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
The early common law produced a rich literature. This article examines two of the most popular legal treatises of the second half of the thirteenth century, Hengham Magna and Fet Asaver. It has long been recognized that these two treatises bear some relationship to each other. This article will attempt to establish that relationship, arguing that Hengham Magna and Fet Asaver were written by different people; that Fet Asaver borrows from Hengham Magna; and that the authors of both texts had independent access to the Bracton treatise. The article concludes by suggesting a new way to think about the legal …
Book Review Of The Oxford History Of The Laws Of England, Volume Ii, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Book Review Of The Oxford History Of The Laws Of England, Volume Ii, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
Library Staff Publications
The Corpus Juris Civilis, created by order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to compile the laws in force at the time, would become a vital foundation for both the civil law and common law traditions. Important figures in the development of the United States’ law used principles listed in the Corpus as a guide, and to this day legal scholars and historians still refer to it. As a system of law based on principles, not case law, the Corpus provided the framework upon which France built the Code Napoleon. The Corpus' influence can be seen in the legal systems …
"As If Uttered By Our Own Inspired Mouth": Researching The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
"As If Uttered By Our Own Inspired Mouth": Researching The Corpus Juris Civilis, Frederick W. Dingledy
Library Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
Happy 790th, Magna Carta!, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
The Significance Of The Corpus Juris Civilis: Matilda Of Canossa And The Revival Of Roman Law, Thomas J. Mcsweeney, Michéle K. Spike
The Significance Of The Corpus Juris Civilis: Matilda Of Canossa And The Revival Of Roman Law, Thomas J. Mcsweeney, Michéle K. Spike
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Magna Carta And The Right To Trial By Jury, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Magna Carta And The Right To Trial By Jury, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
America’S Legal History Started In Williamsburg, Paul Hellyer
America’S Legal History Started In Williamsburg, Paul Hellyer
Library Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
A Theory Of Civil Liability, Nathan B. Oman
A Theory Of Civil Liability, Nathan B. Oman
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Magna Carta, Civil Law, And Canon Law, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Magna Carta, Civil Law, And Canon Law, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Forensic Bibliography: Reconstructing The Library Of George Wythe, Linda K. Tesar
Forensic Bibliography: Reconstructing The Library Of George Wythe, Linda K. Tesar
Library Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
The Surprising Role Of Racial Hierarchy In The Civil Rights Jurisprudence Of The First Justice John Marshall Harlan, Davison M. Douglas
The Surprising Role Of Racial Hierarchy In The Civil Rights Jurisprudence Of The First Justice John Marshall Harlan, Davison M. Douglas
Faculty Publications
The first Justice John Marshall Harlan’s status as one of the greatest Supreme Court Justices in American history rests largely upon his civil rights jurisprudence. The literature exploring the nuances of Harlan’s civil rights jurisprudence is vast. Far less attention has been paid to the reasons for Harlan’s strong civil rights views. Developing a rich sense of Harlan’s thinking has been difficult because Harlan did not leave behind a large trove of non-judicial writings. There is, however, a remarkable source of Harlan’s thought that has been largely overlooked by scholars: Harlan’s constitutional law lectures at George Washington Law School of …
Forensic Bibliography: Reconstructing The Library Of George Wythe, Linda K. Tesar
Forensic Bibliography: Reconstructing The Library Of George Wythe, Linda K. Tesar
Library Staff Publications
The Wolf Law Library at the College of William and Mary initiated a project to re-create the library of George Wythe, the founding father of American legal education. A relatively small number of Wythe’s books are still extant today; for some volumes, there is strong documentary evidence to prove conclusively he owned specific editions of particular titles. Additionally, four bibliographies with varying levels of substantiating information provide insight into the contents of Wythe’s library. Examination of these sources launched an excursion into bibliographic history and rare book collecting that illuminates the difficulties in attempting to establish the exact editions contained …
Between England And France: A Cross-Channel Legal Culture In The Late Thirteenth Century, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Between England And France: A Cross-Channel Legal Culture In The Late Thirteenth Century, Thomas J. Mcsweeney
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
From Oxford To Williamsburg: The Evolution Of Legal Education And Law Libraries Across The Pond, James S. Heller
From Oxford To Williamsburg: The Evolution Of Legal Education And Law Libraries Across The Pond, James S. Heller
Library Staff Publications
No abstract provided.
The Interpretive Authority Of Consensus In The Lower Courts, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl
The Interpretive Authority Of Consensus In The Lower Courts, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl
Popular Media
No abstract provided.
How Should Elected Judges Interpret Statutes?, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl
How Should Elected Judges Interpret Statutes?, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl
Popular Media
No abstract provided.
Natural Law And The Rhetoric Of Empire: Reynolds V. United States, Polygamy, And Imperialism, Nathan B. Oman
Natural Law And The Rhetoric Of Empire: Reynolds V. United States, Polygamy, And Imperialism, Nathan B. Oman
Faculty Publications
In 1879, the U.S. Supreme Court construed the Free Exercise Clause for the first time, holding in Reynolds v. United States that Congress could punish Mormon polygamy. Historians have interpreted Reynolds, and the anti-polygamy legislation and litigation that it midwifed, as an extension of Reconstruction into the American West. This Article offers a new historical interpretation, one that places the birth of Free Exercise jurisprudence in Reynolds within an international context of Great Power imperialism and American international expansion at the end of the nineteenth century. It does this by recovering the lost theory of religious freedom that the Mormons …
The Reasonable Person In Trademark Law, Laura A. Heymann
The Reasonable Person In Trademark Law, Laura A. Heymann
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Does Dworkin Commit Dworkin’S Fallacy?: A Reply To Justice In Robes, Michael S. Green
Does Dworkin Commit Dworkin’S Fallacy?: A Reply To Justice In Robes, Michael S. Green
Faculty Publications
In an article entitled ‘Dworkin’s Fallacy, Or What the Philosophy of Language Can’t Teach Us about the Law’, I argued that in Law’s Empire Ronald Dworkin misderived his interpretive theory of law from an implicit interpretive theory of meaning, thereby committing ‘Dworkin’s fallacy’. In his recent book, Justice in Robes, Dworkin denies that he committed the fallacy. As evidence he points to the fact that he considered three theories of law—‘conventionalism’, ‘pragmatism’ and ‘law as integrity’—in Law’s Empire. Only the last of these is interpretive, but each, he argues, is compatible with his interpretive theory of meaning, which he describes …