C C Langdell

A Selection of Cases on the Law of Contracts with References and Citations C C Langdell

The first casebook, Harvard Law School, 1871. Originally published: Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1871. xvi, 1022 pp. The landmark work that introduced the revolutionary idea of the "case system" to legal education, which Langdell [1826-1906] instituted in his position as Dean at Harvard law School. A response to the European educational practice of the expository textbook as the basis of study, Langdell invented herein the use of original authorities to teach legal principles in his classes at Harvard. He posted lists of leading cases on the bulletin boards or announced them in class beforehand. The students prepared for class by going to the library, taking down the reports, and studying them. The process was both injurious to the library collection and inconvenient for the students. It was very soon apparent to Langdell that having done away with the traditional textbook, the law library was not a satisfactory alternative. No library had, or could afford, the number of duplicate volumes of the court reports that were required so that all students could have easy and equal access to the cases. Langdell's solution was the casebook. This innovation in legal education publishing led to the proliferation of casebooks that continue today.