general counsel

[Fred Shapiro]

On Tue, 3 Feb 2004, Catherine Aman wrote:

> Any suggestions on how to track down the first instances of use of the term
> "general counsel" (which is now have rank pulled upon it by "chief legal
> officer")?

The Chicago Legal Times III. 65 (1889) has the following: "In 1885, he was
made the General Attorney of the Company, which position he now holds,
Hon. William C. Goudy being the General Counsel."

Fred Shapiro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------