Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Volume IV: Beyond the Law: Lawyers and Business in Canada, 1830-1930

Edited by Carol Wilton.  Published with Butterworths Canada, 1990.

Beyond the Law has been called “the first full-length collection offering a serious scholarly treatment of the role of the legal profession in any aspect of Canadian history”. These essays explore new ground in tracing the increasingly complex involvement of lawyers in Canadian business during a critical period of economic development. They demonstrate how lawyers across the country served not only as technical advisors to business figures, but as business leaders in their own right. Moreover, these essays demonstrate how lawyers advanced business interests through their multi-faceted involvement in the political process. Contributions by distinguished British and American scholars add a comparative dimension to this study of the relationship between lawyers and business during the industrial age.

Reviews of Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Volume IV: Beyond the Law: Lawyers and Business in Canada, 1830-1930

This book builds on these two scholarly traditions in examining the connections between lawyers and the business world, and is also the first full-length collection offering a serious scholarly treatment of the role of the legal profession in any aspect of Canadian history. Jim Phillips, Canadian Historical Review, vol 74, 1993, p. 281.
This superb collection of essays illustrates how the relationship between lawyers and business evolved in Canada during the period from 1830 to 1930 .... They illustrate clearly how lawyers had immense opportunities open to them to use their professional standing as springboards to business endeavours. Anthony F. Brown, Ontario History, vol 84, 1992, p. 70.
The collection constitutes a wonderful means to widen the legal imagination and to awaken a sense of historical perspective. The takes of new professional challenges, riches, power and scandals in the face of economic change make for interesting leisure reading.... This collection is of relevance to a wide-ranging readership and breaks new ground for further research. Barry Wright, Canadian Business Law Journal, vol 21, 1992, p. 146.

Reviews have also appeared in the following publications:

  • Christopher English, Canadian Historical Review, Vol 79, 1998, p. 602.
  • Margaret McCallum, McGill Law Journal, Vol 37, 1992, p. 352.