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Dwight, Theodore William

(Encyclopedia)Dwight, Theodore William, 1822–92, American lawyer, b. Catskill, N.Y., grad. Hamilton College, 1840. He studied at Yale law school and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He was professor of law and la...

Holdsworth, Sir William Searle

(Encyclopedia)Holdsworth, Sir William Searle, 1871–1944, British legal historian. He was (1903–8) professor of constitutional law at University College, London. After 1922 he was Vinerian professor of English l...

Burlamaqui, Jean Jacques

(Encyclopedia)Burlamaqui, Jean Jacques zhäN zhäk bo͝orlämäkēˈ [key], 1694–1748, Swiss jurist. His chief works are Principes du droit naturel [principles of natural law] (1747) and Principes du droit politi...

Langdell, Christopher Columbus

(Encyclopedia)Langdell, Christopher Columbus lăngˈdəl [key], 1826–1906, American teacher of law, b. New Boston, N.H. He practiced in New York City from 1854 to 1870, when he was appointed Dane professor of law...

compurgation

(Encyclopedia)compurgation kŏmˌpərgāˈshən [key], in medieval law, a complete defense. A defendant could establish his innocence or nonliability by taking an oath and by getting a required number of persons to...

Kagan, Elena

(Encyclopedia)Kagan, Elena, 1960–, U.S. educator, government official, and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (2010–), b. New York City, grad. Princeton (A.B., 1981), Oxford (M.Phil., 1983), Harvard La...

statute

(Encyclopedia)statute, in law, a formal, written enactment by the authorized powers of a state. The term is usually not applied to a written constitution but is restricted to the enactments of a legislature. Statut...

Lawrence, William Beach

(Encyclopedia)Lawrence, William Beach, 1800–1881, American political leader and jurist, b. New York City. He was appointed secretary of the legation in Great Britain in 1826 and was made (1827) chargé d'affaires...

Code Napoléon

(Encyclopedia)Code Napoléon sēvēlˈ [key], first modern legal code of France, promulgated by Napoleon I in 1804. The work of J. J. Cambacérès and a commission of four appointed by Napoleon I in 1800 was import...

Kent, James

(Encyclopedia)Kent, James, 1763–1847, American jurist, b. near Brewster, N.Y. He was admitted to the bar in 1785 and began practice in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Active in the Federalist party, he served several terms in...