A History of American Law, Revised Edition

I have just finished my first year of law school, and this book was a wonderfully informative read. The premise of the book, that progression in law coincides with progression with social as well as economic factors, is extremely well-founded and confirmed throughout the book. It was fascinating to re-visit cases I had studied this past year through the lens of both historical and social contexts. The true genius of this book, however, is that you don't need to be a lawyer or a law student to appreciate it. To be sure, those with a greater understanding of American jurisprudence will likely get more out of this book, but I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in not just how the American legal system works but more importantly WHY it works the way it does. This book is truly a treasure, and I continue to be amazed with Professor Friedman's exhaustive and comprehensive research. I look forward to re-visiting this book throughout the rest of law school and through my legal career.

Dr. Friedman's book is really quite brilliantly written. It is easy to identify his argument in each section, and it is very well supported. The book is structured in a way that makes his findings highly memorable, and he draws from a variety of interesting sources. I took his class at Stanford Law School this past semester, and this was part of the required reading - and for good reason!

I read this book prior to starting law school. It is the best introduction to the history of American law, and to the law in general. Too many lawyers look at law as a trade, and have no perspective into why or how the law has developed and evolved as it has. This hefty volume goes a long way to remedy that shortcoming. In spite of its academic rigor, it is very readable and clear.

When Lawrence M. Friedman wrote his landmark "A History of American Law," he remarked that American legal history has been a neglected field. The United States, he noted, has no work of legal history comparable to Holdsworth's monumental "History of English Law." Friedman was right about our neglect of American legal history, and his attempt to remedy that neglect by writing his History remains the most authoritative history of American law. Friedman's History is not only authoritative, however. It is written with clarity and grace, and it is accessible to the general reader. Any attempt to gain a full understanding of American law will necessarily be incomplete without a careful reading of this book. It should be required reading for all law students.