University of Virginia Library

VIII. LAW.

Professor Davis.—This school is arranged into two classes. The subjects
studied by the Junior class are the Law of Nature and Nations, the Science
of Government, Constitutional Law, and the elementary principles of
Municipal Law. The text books used by this class, are Vattel's Law of Nations,
the Federalist, the Virginia Report of '99, Blackstone's Commentaries,
and a Treatise on Criminal Law by the Professor; in addition to which, lectures
are delivered on Government, and various topics of National and Constitutional
Law, not discussed in the text-books.

The subjects studied by the Senior class, are the Common and Statute Law,
Equity and Maritime and Commercial Law. And the text-books used by this
class, are Coke upon Littleton, (Thomas's edition,) Stephen on Pleading, Starkie
on Evidence, (the first vol.) Matthews on Executors, Chitty on Contracts,
Smith's Mercantile Law, Story's Equity, and Mitford's Pleadings.

The design of this arrangement is to embrace in the junior course, those
studies which not only form an essential part of a liberal professional education,
but which from their universal interest and importance, constitute a highly
useful branch of general education: whilst the senior course is exclusively occupied
with the study of the theory and practice of Law, as a profession.

Students can attend either or both the classes; and those not wishing to
study Municipal Law at all, can enter for that portion of the junior course
which includes National Law, Government and Constitutional Law, which
portion, those wishing to study Municipal Law only, can, if they choose, omit.

On the text books of both classes, prelections are delivered by the Professor,
in which it is his object to supply what is deficient, and explain what is obscure
in the text, and to offer such comments as he deems necessary to the
thorough understanding of the subject under consideration. In the prelections
on Municipal Law, he refers to the leading cases and authorities, American
and English, illustrative of the topic treated by the author, and particularly
explains, in its appropriate connection, the Statute Law of Virginia and the
United States, and its effects on the pre-existing law. Each prelection is preceded
by an examination on the last, together with its text. On the lectures
delivered, the class are also examined.

To assist them in their regular studies, and to accustom them to legal investigations
and forensic discussions, the students of this school have instituted a
Law Society, at the meetings of which the Professor presides. In it, questions
connected with the studies of the school are discussed, fictitious cases litigated
in the form of regular pleadings, and the issue produced decided in the
appropriate mode, and the members exercised in conveyancing, &c.

The students of Law, in common with the students of the other schools,
have the use of the extensive Library of the institution; the Law department
of which is large and valuable.