Contemporary history of law

For instance, in 1990, legal history was largely about legal doctrine, often focused on judges and great writers.
Now we are much more focused on the litigants and “objects” of law – people whose lives are led under the threat of prosecution, for instance.
And we are paying so much attention to how those outsiders challenged and remade law.

Certain jurists and historians of legal process have seen legal history as the recording of the evolution of laws and the technical explanation of how these laws have evolved with the view of better understanding the origins of various legal concepts; some consider legal history a branch of intellectual history.

Explore legal material from the seventeenth century through the early twentieth century.
Together, the distinct collections that comprise The Making of Modern Law cover nearly every aspect of American and British law and dig deep into the legal traditions of Europe, Latin America, Asia, and other jurisdictions, both classic and contemporary.

These challenges birthed the first legal systems, with codes and institutions forged to navigate the complexities of society.
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome each contributed unique legal frameworks, reflecting the distinct contexts in which they emerged.
The momentous act of codifying laws played a pivotal role in shaping legal principles.