48 RI Bar J., No. 4, Pg. 15 (January, 2000). Book Review: Liberty and Justice, A History of Law and Lawyers in Rhode Island, 1636-1998 by Patrick T. Conley.

AuthorREVIEW BY ROBERT S. THURSTON

Rhode Island Bar Journal

Volume 48.

48 RI Bar J., No. 4, Pg. 15 (January, 2000).

Book Review: Liberty and Justice, A History of Law and Lawyers in Rhode Island, 1636-1998 by Patrick T. Conley

Book Review: Liberty and Justice, A History of Law and Lawyers in Rhode Island, 1636-1998 by Patrick T. ConleyR.I. Publications Society; 526 pages; $39.95.REVIEW BY ROBERT S. THURSTONPatrick Conley's, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE, A HISTORY OF LAW AND LAWYERS IN RHODE ISLAND 1636-1998, is a well-balanced compilation of essays and excerpts from historical treatises by various authors, which follows the development of law and government in our state since 1636. The history and development of our state government is an unavoidable underlying theme throughout the book because of the natural interplay between law and government, and the large part played by Rhode Island lawyers in all aspects of the governmental process. The book also gives an insightful look at the social and political past of Rhode Island as seen through the lens of legal history, describing cases and controversies, constitutional developments and the lives of prominent lawyers. These essays and excerpts show how legal records and newspaper accounts of trials provide a unique perspective into our social and political history-especially for our colonial period.

The book is divided into three parts: 1) the setting of legal foundations in the colonial era; 2) the use of law as an instrument of change in the 19th century; and 3) the development of the profession in the 20th century. Of the 31 essays in the book, 6 are written by Professor Conley and two others are co-written by him. Each essay has a useful introduction that explains the origin of the essay and the author's perspective. While the contents of these essays are too factually dense to reiterate in a review like this, there are certain recurrent themes that surface throughout the book. One theme, which appears early, is the ardor with which our legislatively dominated democracy was established, and then tenaciously preserved by Rhode Islanders.

The first section of the book traces the colonial foundations of our legal system, examines the legacy of Roger Williams and recounts various significant trials that took place during the state's colonial era. It is refreshing to learn of a prominent case where Native Americans were...

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