Where can I find a short history on law?

Question

I want to know how the job of a lawyer came about, and how that job and just law in general has changed over time.

I would like a short history on when recent, meaning the last thousand years or so, lawyers came about and how their services have evolved.

Answer 1

That's still not exactly narrowing it down, although that's a great question. How DID those guys become a necessary evil? I doubt if they even cover that in law school.

"Law" is basically political, influenced by the politics of the times. Over the years, it became more and more complicated when the basic rules didn't suffice.

Like, cutting off a finger for theivery didn't deter a thief, so let's amend the law to whop off a hand. It escalates until today the massive amount of "law" could sink the Titanic. Which is why we still have a lot of silly laws, like no mustaches in Borra Texas and no dancing on Wednesdays in Shiloh PA, and things like that.

Then we have RICO, which no one has been able to define since the Reagan admin put it into effect.

As you see, this topic just goes on and on.

As for the lawyers themselves, do you want to narrow it down to just American attorneys, or do you want to go way back to English barristers, or lawyers in other countries???? This is really fascinating, but quite a huge topic.

Kind of tough, but maybe Google search it. There's bound to be someone who has researched the living H out of this, but you aren't going to find them on Yahoo answers.

Good luck! :-)

Answer 2

Is that all? How much time do you have?

There have been legal representatives before written history, as any type of organized society had "law," or rules, and the people who enforced them, judged them, and mediated. Ancient Celts, Romans, Indians, Asians....

Sooooo....please narrow this one down a little. The question covers ten thousand years of civilization.

Answer 3

Do you want a 'short' history, or do you want at least one of your questions answered? You can't have both.

Answer 4

for Medieval legal history, try ...http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook-law.html