Samuel Williston
Encyclopedia
Samuel Williston was an American lawyer and law professor.
Early in Williston's career, from 1888 to 1889 he worked as the private secretary to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray
. In the summer of 1889, he helped to collate laws from various U.S.
states in order to help formulate the state constitution
s of North Dakota
and South Dakota
.
From 1895 to 1938, Williston was a law professor at Harvard Law School
, and in 1910, he briefly served as acting
dean
. Amongst his most important contributions at this time were the drafting of four laws aimed at providing national commerce with a legally uniform architecture. The Uniform Laws of Sales (1906), Warehouse Receipts (1906), Bills of Lading (1909), and Stock Transfers (1909) would in fact serve as precedents for the construction of the Uniform Commercial Code
some decades later.
He became a consultant for the Boston
law firm
Hale & Dorr from 1938 to 1956, during which time he was engaged in some Supreme Court cases such as Kneeland v. AT&T and Chase National Bank v. Sayles. Williston unsuccessfully argued for the defense in the case of Boston & Maine Railroad v. Hooker before the U.S. Supreme Court on December 10 and 11, 1913.
Williston wrote five volumes of his legal treatise
, "The Law of Contracts", which was first published during the span of 1920 to 1922. The treatise was widely acclaimed as the foremost authority on the topic and was later enlarged in 1938. In 1932, Williston served as reporter for the First Restatement of Contracts
, a highly influential publication in the legal community. This treatise continues to exist to this day, currently edited by Richard A. Lord, professor at Campbell University
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
.
In 1929, Williston was honored with the very first American Bar Association
medal for "conspicuous service to American jurisprudence."
In a 1963 Harvard Law Review
essay, Justice Felix Frankfurter
lauded Williston as being the “greatest artist in teaching.”
Williston is the namesake of the Williston Negotiation Competition
at Harvard Law School.
Early in Williston's career, from 1888 to 1889 he worked as the private secretary to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray
Horace Gray
Horace Gray was an American jurist who ultimately served on the United States Supreme Court. He was active in public service and a great philanthropist to the City of Boston.-Early life:...
. In the summer of 1889, he helped to collate laws from various U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states in order to help formulate the state constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
s of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
.
From 1895 to 1938, Williston was a law professor at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, and in 1910, he briefly served as acting
Acting (law)
In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
dean
Dean of Harvard Law School
The Dean of Harvard Law School is the head of Harvard Law School. The current Dean is Martha Minow, the 12th person, and second woman to hold the post.-List of Deans of Harvard Law School:...
. Amongst his most important contributions at this time were the drafting of four laws aimed at providing national commerce with a legally uniform architecture. The Uniform Laws of Sales (1906), Warehouse Receipts (1906), Bills of Lading (1909), and Stock Transfers (1909) would in fact serve as precedents for the construction of the Uniform Commercial Code
Uniform Commercial Code
The Uniform Commercial Code , first published in 1952, is one of a number of uniform acts that have been promulgated in conjunction with efforts to harmonize the law of sales and other commercial transactions in all 50 states within the United States of America.The goal of harmonizing state law is...
some decades later.
He became a consultant for the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
Hale & Dorr from 1938 to 1956, during which time he was engaged in some Supreme Court cases such as Kneeland v. AT&T and Chase National Bank v. Sayles. Williston unsuccessfully argued for the defense in the case of Boston & Maine Railroad v. Hooker before the U.S. Supreme Court on December 10 and 11, 1913.
Williston wrote five volumes of his legal treatise
Legal treatise
A legal treatise is a scholarly legal publication containing all the law relating to a particular area, such as criminal law or trusts and estates...
, "The Law of Contracts", which was first published during the span of 1920 to 1922. The treatise was widely acclaimed as the foremost authority on the topic and was later enlarged in 1938. In 1932, Williston served as reporter for the First Restatement of Contracts
Restatement of the Law
In American jurisprudence, the Restatements of the Law are a set of treatises on legal subjects that seek to inform judges and lawyers about general principles of common law...
, a highly influential publication in the legal community. This treatise continues to exist to this day, currently edited by Richard A. Lord, professor at Campbell University
Campbell University
Campbell University is a coeducational, church-related university in rural North Carolina, USA. Its main campus is located in the community of Buies Creek; its law school moved from Buies Creek to a new campus in the state capital of Raleigh in 2009. Campbell has an approximately equal number of...
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is a private law school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs offered by Campbell University...
.
In 1929, Williston was honored with the very first American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
medal for "conspicuous service to American jurisprudence."
In a 1963 Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
essay, Justice Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.-Early life:Frankfurter was born into a Jewish family on November 15, 1882, in Vienna, Austria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Europe. He was the third of six children of Leopold and Emma Frankfurter...
lauded Williston as being the “greatest artist in teaching.”
Williston is the namesake of the Williston Negotiation Competition
Williston Negotiation Competition
The Williston Negotiation Competition is an annual negotiation and contract drafting competition at Harvard Law School.Students work in paired teams of two, with each team representing a side in a complex business deal...
at Harvard Law School.