Approaching the legal profession through the lens of cultural history, Wes Pue explores the social roles that lawyers imagined for themselves in England and its empire from the late eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Each chapter focuses on a moment when lawyers sought to reshape their profession while at the same time imagining they were shaping nation and empire in the process. As an exploration of the relationship between legal professionals and liberalism, this book draws attention to recurrent tensions that have arisen as lawyers sought to assure their own economic well-being while simultaneously advancing the causes of liberty, cultural authority, stability, and continuity.

Wes Pue holds the Nemetz Chair in Legal History at the University of British Columbia. His research interests extend to the histories of legal professions, comparative legal history, and issues related to constitutionalism and policing. He is Editor of the University of British Columbia Press' "Law and Society" book series. Appointed Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in July 2003, he was called to the Bars of the Northwest Territories and Alberta (1981) and has served as President of the Canadian Law and Society Association. He has held faculty positions or visiting professorships in Canada, the USA, England, and Australia.

W. Wesley Pue's profile page

• Winner, CLSA Book Prize, Canadian Law and Society Association