The Common Law

The Common Law is a classic legal treatise written by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., a prominent American jurist and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Originally published in 1881, the book is a collection of essays and lectures that explore the development and principles of the common law legal system in the United States and England.The book is divided into three parts: the first part provides an overview of the common law system and its historical development, while the second part focuses on the various legal concepts and doctrines that make up the common law. The third and final part of the book explores the role of judges in the common law system and the importance of legal precedent in shaping the law.Throughout the book, Holmes emphasizes the importance of legal reasoning and the need for judges to interpret and apply the law in a way that is consistent with its underlying principles and values. He also emphasizes the role of legal precedent in shaping the law and argues that judges should be guided by past decisions and legal traditions when making decisions.Overall, The Common Law is a seminal work in legal scholarship that continues to be widely read and studied by lawyers, judges, and legal scholars today. It provides a comprehensive overview of the common law system and its principles, and offers valuable insights into the role of judges in shaping the law.1881. Underneath the enormous structure of codes, acts and laws to which each generation adds another story lies the cornerstone of the common law. It is not of itself a law nor yet a code of laws. Lawyers cannot refer to it by chapter and verse. It comprises the fundamental ideas, the philosophy of law. As such it has long attracted the thoughtful layman in the same way that he is attracted to the philosophy of religion or ethics or any other fundamental ideas of civilization. The Common Law by Holmes is probably the most famous exposition of this subject. The book was developed from a series of Lowell lectures addressed to a lay audience. It may well be unique among famous law books in that it was not written specifically for lawyers. In one other respect it is unusual. It has never been revised in the more than seventy-five years of its existence. The common law is one thing that has changed little from one generation to the next. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.