[Ads-l] Antedating of "Law School"

[James Eric Lawson]

The OEDO definition of 'law' and hence the compound 'law-school' needs
no revision to accommodate 17th century "law school" attestations. For
example, Fred's 1665 antedating citation should be taken to refer the
"meet" to one or another of the locations associated with the Inns of
Court and the Inns of Chancery. Which location would have been known to
the listed participants.

<excerpt>The purpose of this unpretentious volume is to furnish to the
legal profession in the United States and Canada a clear but concise
history and description of those ancient and honourable schools of law
in England which for the past six centuries have been known as Inns of
Court and Chancery.

<source>The Inns of court: An historical description of the Inns of
court and chancery of England <date>1909 <publisher>Paul Musson
<place>London <author>Hyacinthe Ringrose <page>iii </source>

<url>
https://archive.org/details/cu31924021676931/page/n9/mode/2up

Also see, e.g.,

<excerpt>The four Inns of Court—The Inner
Temple, The Middle Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn—constitute
a legal university, and so to speak, compose its four colleges.

<source>The story of the Inns of court <date>1924 <publisher>Houghton
Mifflin <place>Boston <author>Sir D. Plunkett Barton <page>3 </source>

<url>
https://archive.org/details/storyofinnsofcou00bart/page/n15/mode/2up

<excerpt>Fortescue makes mention of ten or more inferior Inns, which
were called “Inns of Chancery.” These societies served as preparatory
colleges for the Inns of Court, to each of which two or more Inns of
Chancery were attached, like Maids of Honour to a Princess. The Inns of
Court used to send Readers accompanied by “Outer” barristers to instruct
the students in these Inns of Chancery, to discuss cases and legal
points with them, and to preside over their Moots. The most promising
students of an Inn of Chancery were, term by term, transferred to the
parent Inn of Court. <page>9

<excerpt>Education has always been the principal care of the Benchers of
the four Inns of Court. The method of conducting it has undergone many
changes. There was a time when the following was the system under which
the lawyers and judges of a former day were trained and prepared for the
active work of their profession. A striking point of difference from our
present system was the comparative length of the curriculum. A student
began by entering an Inn of Chancery. <page>11-12


On 12/27/22 20:12, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> Here is a 1656 citation that refers to a “School of Law”. This
> document might give some insight into the nature of an institution
> called a “Law School” or “School of Law” in this early time period.
> 
> Year: 1656 (This year is specified in Google Books and WorldCat, but
> it is not visible on page)
> Title: A Survey of the Estate of France, and of some of the adjoyning
> ilands: taken in the description of the principal cities, and chief
> provinces, etc
> Author: Peter Heylyn
> Publisher: Printed by E. Cotes for Hanry Seile
> Book 3, Chapter 4
> Quote Page 152
> Original from: The British Library
> 
> https://books.google.com/books?id=_xhlAAAAcAAJ&q=%22School+of+Law%22#v=snippet&
> 
> [Begin excerpt - double check for errors]
> Τhe difference between an University and an Academie standing thus,
> Those which lived in our Fathers dayes could hardly have called
> Orleans an University; a School of Law being the name most fit for it.
> At this time since the coming of the Jesuites, that appellation may
> not misbecome it, they having brought with them those parts of
> learning, which before were wanting in it: but this hath not been of
> any long standing, their Colledge being not yet fully finished. By an
> inscription over the gate, it seemeth to be the work of Mr. Gagliery,
> one of the Advocates in the Parliament of Paris, a man of large
> practise, and by consequence, of great possessions; and who having no
> childe but this Colledge, is said to intend the fastning of his estate
> upon it.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> Garson
> 
> On Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 9:00 PM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I don't know if English law schools at the time. What I do know is that law
>> students spent a lot of time at the courts, which were also in the Palace
>> of Westminster. It is possible there was a room (or rooms) for debate and
>> lectures called the Law School, also used by Parliament.
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 26, 2022, 2:52 PM Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Were there law schools, as we understand the term, in 1665? I thought
>>> legal education in that period was strictly by apprenticeship.
>>>
>>>
>>> John Baker
>>>
>>>
>>> On Dec 24, 2022, at 8:52 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>> External Email - Think Before You Click
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> law school (OED 1818)
>>>
>>> 1665 House of Commons Journal 12 Oct. (Internet Archive) They are to meet
>>> To-morrow at Two of the Clock in the After-noon, in the Law School.
>>>
>>> Fred Shapiro

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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