Law firms are important economic institutions in this country: they
collect hundreds of millions of dollars annually in fees, they order the affairs of
businesses and of many government agencies, and their members include some of the
most influential Canadians. Some firms have a history stretching back nearly two
hundred years, and many are over a century old. Yet the history of law firms in
Canada has remained largely unknown. This collection of essays, Volume VII in the
Osgoode Society's series of Essays in the History of Canadian Law, is the first
focused study of a variety of law firms and how they have evolved over a century and
a half, from the golden age of the sole practitioner in the pre-industrial era to
the recent rise of the mega-firm. The volume as a whole is an exploration of the
impact of economic and social change on law-firm culture and organization. The
introduction by Carol Wilton provides a chronological overview of Canadian law-firm
evolution and emphasizes the distinctiveness of Canadian law-firm history.

Carol Wilton is the editor of Beyond the Law (Volume IV in Essays in the History of Canadian Law) and of Change and Continuity: A Reader of Pre-Confederation History.

Carol Wilton's profile page