James Kent Library, 1554-1930
Collection context
- Creator:
- Kent, James, 1763-1847
- Extent:
- 1480 Volumes Card catalog says 1480 titles; Voyager brings up ~1300 titles
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
Non-legal library of Chancellor James Kent,the first professor of law at Columbia College, appointed in 1793 before Columbia University instituted its law school. He also was a practitioner, having served 25 years as a state judge in New York, before he became a law professor. Chancellor Kent invented legal scholarship, presenting a series of lectures at Columbia in the 1820s, and then publishing them as the Commentaries on American Law, characterized by one recent writer as "the most influential American law book of the ante-bellum period."
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
All books in this collection are cataloged, and should be requested individually in CLIO. This record is for informational purposes only.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu