Connecticut has an important place in the history of American legal publishing. Some of the first works on American law were written by Connecticut lawyers, and thanks to a donation by the family of Justice Howard Alcorn, the library has added copies of some of these foundational American and Connecticut legal texts to our Special Collections.

The donation includes:

Kirby’s Reports: the first volume of reported Connecticut cases, and arguably the first reporter of American judicial decisions.

Swift’s System: the first American law treatise, published in the 1790s by Zephaniah Swift.

Swift’s Evidence: also by Zephaniah Swift, published in 1810, was the first American treatise on the law of evidence.

The Complete Constable: A Manual for Connecticut Constables, Officials Chosen by Each Town to Enforce Local Laws: this work contains a collection of statutes, forms, explanation, and procedures, intended to assist town constables in carrying out their duties.

Blackstone’s Commentaries: there are many editions of Blackstone’s Commentaries which, although a work on English law, had a strong influence on colonial and early American law. This edition is Wendell’s Blackstone’s Commentaries and includes notes to adapt it to the needs of the American law student. The Law Library holds several other editions, including the First American Edition, printed by Robert Bell in 1771-1772.

The donation was made by the family of former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Howard Alcorn. Justice Alcorn served on the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1961 to 1971, serving as Chief Justice from 1970 to 1971. Justice Alcorn also served on the Superior Court, and as state representative and senator in the Connecticut General Assembly.

Materials in the Law Library’s Special Collections are available to view by request.

Written by: Anne Rajotte, Associate Director of Research, Instruction, and Scholarship

---