David Hoffman and the Science of Jurisprudence

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The works of David Hoffman, founder of the Law Institute at the University of Maryland, have long played an influential role in the development of American legal education and thought. Several law review articles have looked at specific aspects of his career, but little effort has been made to develop a complete picture of David Hoffman's life. This may stem, in part, from the fact that Hoffman, unlike many of his contemporaries, kept no journal or letter books (or if he did, they are lost to us now). The goal of this resource is to use original documents, secondary resources and biographical material to provide a closer examination of David Hoffman's life and his science of jurisprudence.

Table of Contents
General David Hoffman Time Line Biographical Sketch from the Dictionary of American Biography Cordell's Official History of the University Of Maryland Publications by David Hoffman in the Thurgood Marshall Law Library	1828-1853 Memorial and Argument in the Case of the Ship Blaireau, 1828 Maryland Court of Appeals Case, 1830 James Sheppard vs. Lemuel Taylor, 1830 A Letter to Justice Joseph Story, 1832 A Course of Legal Study, 1836 Anthony Grumbler on Life in America, 1837 A Letter to the Trustees, 1839 Political Career, 1843 A Petition to Congress, 1845 Emigration to the United States, 1849 Chronicles of the Wandering Jew, 1853 Hoffman's Lasting Influence
1813-1826 Legislation Authorizing a Lottery for the Law Institute, 1813 A Course of Legal Study, 1817 United States v. Hare, 1818 The Lecture of 1823 An Address to Students of Law, 1824 Chace against Vasquez, 1826

This site was researched and developed in 2005 and 2006 by Bill Sleeman, Assistant Director for Technical Services.

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