The Cravath Firm and Its Predecessors, 1819-1948

Abstract

The histories of law firms, like those of villages or regiments, are generally too parochial to be of much use. Occasionally some one writes a piece of local history which has value not only as a deposit of raw information, to be mined through a heavy layer of reverent prose, but as a work of genuine historical insight. Mr. Swaine's account of his famous law firm has already become a classic of its type. The Cravath Firm makes a substantial and original contribution to our understanding of American law, the American economy, and the life of the American community. Originally written for members and former members of the firm, it should be made generally available, perhaps in a one volume edition minimizing biographical detail, to all who are interested in understanding how the twentieth century developed from the nineteenth.