Before he became U.S. Supreme Court justice in 1902, American jurist OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES JR. (1841-1935) was already famous as the most influential proponent for and teacher of the common law. In this collection of lectures-originally delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston and first gathered in book form in 1881-Holmes introduces us to basic concepts of the common law and explains his reasoning of them. Discussed are: - liability - criminal law - trespass and negligence - fraud, malice, and intent - possession and ownership - the contract - and much more. One of the most widely cited members of the Supreme Court, Holmes continues to dramatically impact the U.S. legal system to this day. This classic volume of his jurisprudence-reproduced here from the 1938 31st printing-is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand modern American law.