The Medieval Origins of the Legal Profession

by Brundage, James A.

• ISBN13: 9780226077598
• ISBN10: 0226077594
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-05-15
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

In the aftermath of sixth-century barbarian invasions, the legal profession that had grown and flourished during the Roman Empire vanished. Nonetheless, professional lawyers suddenly reappeared in Western Europe seven hundred years later during the 1230s when church councils and public authorities began to impose a body of ethical obligations on those who practiced law. James Brundage'sThe Medieval Origins of the Legal Professiontraces the history of legal practice from its genesis in ancient Rome to its rebirth in the early Middle Ages and eventual resurgence in the courts of the medieval church. By the end of the eleventh century, Brundage argues, renewed interest in Roman law combined with the rise of canon law of the Western church to trigger a series of consolidations in the profession. New legal procedures emerged, and formal training for proctors and advocates became necessary in order to practice law in the reorganized church courts. Brundage demonstrates that many features that characterize legal advocacy today were already in place by 1250, as lawyers trained in Roman and canon law became professionals in every sense of the term. A sweeping examination of the centuries-long power struggle between local courts and the Christian church, secular rule and religious edict,The Medieval Origins of the Legal Professionwill be a resource for the professional and the student alike.

Author Biography

James A. Brundage is the Ahmanson-Murphy Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History and Law at the University of Kansas. He is the author of nine books, including Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations
The Foundation: The Roman Legal Profession	p. 9
Law without Lawyers: The Early Middle Ages	p. 46
The Legal Revival of the Twelfth Century	p. 75
Church Courts, Civil Procedure, and the Professionalization of Law	p. 126
Pre-Professional Lawyers in Twelfth-Century Church Courts	p. 164
The Formation of an Educated Elite: Law Schools and Universities	p. 219
Attaining Professional Status	p. 283
Professional Canon Lawyers: Advocates and Proctors	p. 344
Judges and Notaries	p. 371
The Practice of Canon Law	p. 407
Rewards and Hazards of the Legal Profession	p. 466
Conclusion: The Tradition of the Legal Profession	p. 488
Bibliography	p. 493
Index	p. 579
Citations Index	p. 601
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