Origins of the Common Law

Written for the beginning student as well as the experienced scholar, this introductory analysis of the origin and early development of the English common law provides an excellent grounding for the study of legal history. Between 1154, when Henry II became king, and 1307, when Edward I died, the common law underwent spectacular growth. The author begins with a discussion of the relationship between the early rules of common law and the social order they served during this period and concludes w…