Treatises

Treatises provide in-depth commentary and analysis of specific legal subjects. This page provides a list of leading treatises for each specific legal subject.

Works aimed primarily at practitioners are excluded from this list. Hornbooks - single volume treatises providing straightforward explanations of black-letter law - are listed in the Hornbooks and Study Supplements guide. The treatises listed here are usually better choices than hornbooks for information about a narrow area, or specific point, of law, or for detailed citations to primary and additional secondary sources on a particular topic.

The original author of many of the classic treatises (e.g. Wigmore on Evidence or Corbin on Contracts) is often long dead. The ongoing work of revision and updating is done by succeeding authors. The treatises remain highly regarded and cited because of their long history and authoritative reputation.

Restatements of the Law, published by the American Law Institute, are also included here. The Restatements set forth principles of common law, agreed upon by experts in the field, and are highly respected by judges. Each Restatement summarizes, point-by-point, the law of the relevant subject area, provides explanatory comments and examples and includes appendices that provide annotations of all reported federal and state cases citing the Restatement.

Many of the listed treatises are located in the Reserve Collections Room, while others are located in the D'Angelo Law Library Bookstacks.