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Posted by: Nathan Dorn
“There are two motives that have induced me to prefix a few lines by way of preface to the reader of the ensuing book. One is, that it is generally expected, and a book seems to come naked into the world without a preface; tho’ sometimes little or nothing to the purpose: but since custom …
Posted in: Collections, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
Nathan discusses trial by ordeal and the dangers of too much judicial combat in the works of Friedrich Majer
Posted in: Collections, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
In previous posts, I have highlighted collections related to some of the authors who had an outsized impact on the early history of American lawbooks in the 19th century. Among these, Joseph Story and James Kent certainly remain central to any retelling of American legal history. Lesser known, but important for his contributions to American …
Posted in: Collections, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
Last Halloween, a post on this blog introduced the subject of witch trials in France from the 15th through the 18th centuries. In this post, I would like to take a look at one of the most important French works on the crime of witchcraft and its prosecution, a book that gave considerable encouragement to …
Posted in: Collections, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
As part of its comprehensive collection development objectives, the Law Library of Congress collects the laws of nations of the world, including historic works that document the earliest layers of those nations’ legal heritage. A recent acquisition for the Law Library’s Rare Book Collection captures one such moment in the history of the laws of …
Posted in: Collections, Law Library