Classic Cases: Historical Foundations of First-Year Law School Cases
This research site comes from the University of Minnesota Law School with permission to use here.
"This digital research site features summaries of "classic" cases in five areas of law." The five areas include constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts. A number of foundational cases are cited in each of these areas with the following elements:
- The case's citation, its significance, and a summary.
- A pdf of the original case.
- In some entries like Marbury v. Madison (1803), for example, the "Authorities Cited" are also included, e.g. United States v. Lawrence (1795) complete with citation, summary, and access to a pdf of the case.
William Marbury, plaintiff in Marbury v. Madison, by Rembrandt Peale.
For a closer look at the chronology of these cases, there is a Timeline you can consult, beginning with The Case of Thorns (Hulle v. Orynge) (1466).
"These cases, and many others taken from the pages of casebooks in first-year classes, are also standard-bearers of legal history and the common law tradition. The reasoning and authorities relied on in these cases offer valuable insight into the ways in which lawyers and judges have argued about and decided cases in the past."
This guide also links to more "Recommended Reading" and includes material from the UMN Law Library's Arhur C. Pulling Rare Books Collecton.
Submitted by Eric Taylor, Evening Reference Librarian on October 31, 2025
This article appears in the categories: Law Library
