Lawyers, Judges & Jurists, ABB-BRA
Discover the lawyers, judges, and jurists whose arguments, rulings, and legal thought have shaped courts, constitutions, and the meaning of justice.
Lawyers, Judges & Jurists Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Abbott, Greg
Greg Abbott is an American Republican politician who serves as governor of Texas (2015â ). He previously was the......
Abelardo de la Espriella
Abelardo de la Espriella is a Colombian lawyer and conservative politician. He has served as Colombiaâs president......
Abrams, Stacey
Stacey Abrams is an American politician, lawyer, and activist who is an influential figure in the Democratic Party,......
Abzug, Bella
Bella Abzug was a U.S. congresswoman (1971â77) and lawyer who founded several liberal political organizations for......
Accursius, Franciscus
Franciscus Accursius was an Italian legal scholar and leading jurist of the 13th century who was responsible for......
Adams, Eric
Eric Adams was elected mayor of New York City in 2021 and served one term (2022â25). He was succeeded by Zohran......
Ademola, Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega
Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola was a Nigerian lawyer and judge who was the first indigenous chief justice of......
Aguesseau, Henri-François dâ
Henri-François dâ Aguesseau was a jurist who, as chancellor of France during most of the period from 1717 to 1750,......
Akers, Ronald L.
Ronald L. Akers is an American criminologist widely known for his social learning theory of crime. After earning......
Albizu Campos, Pedro
Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican attorney, social activist, and nationalist. Albizu Campos was the son of......
Alexander II
Alexander II was the emperor of Russia (1855â81). His liberal education and distress at the outcome of the Crimean......
Alexander, Sadie Tanner Mossell
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was an economist and attorney who was one of the first African American women in......
Alfasi, Isaac ben Jacob
Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi was a Talmudic scholar who wrote a codification of the Talmud known as Sefer ha-Halakhot......
Alfonso X
Alfonso X was the king of Castile and Leon from 1252 to 1284. Alfonsoâs father, Ferdinand III, conquered Andalusia......
Alfred
Alfred was the king of Wessex (871â899), a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England. He prevented England from falling......
Alito, Samuel A., Jr.
Samuel A. Alito, Jr. is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 2006. Alito is known......
Allen, Florence Ellinwood
Florence Ellinwood Allen was an American jurist who was the first woman to serve on the bench in a number of state......
Amir Ali, Sayyid
Sayyid Amir Ali was a jurist, writer, and Muslim leader who favoured British rule in India rather than possible......
Ancillon, Charles
Charles Ancillon was a lawyer, educator, and historian who was the leader of the French Protestant refugees in......
Andrieux, François
François Andrieux was a French lawyer and comic dramatist who alternated between literary and political activities......
Angell, James Burrill
James Burrill Angell was an educator and diplomat who elevated the University of Michigan to academic prominence......
Annamalai, K.
K. Annamalai is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is a former officer in......
Anzilotti, Dionisio
Dionisio Anzilotti was an Italian jurist who was one of the main founders of the so-called positive school of international......
Arbour, Louise
Louise Arbour is a Canadian attorney and judge who served as the chief prosecutor of war crimes before the International......
Arnold, Benedict
Benedict Arnold served the cause of the American Revolution as an officer until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance......
Ashburton, John Dunning, 1st Baron
John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton was an English jurist and politician who defended the radical John Wilkes against......
Ashcroft, John
John Ashcroft is a U.S. politician and lawyer, who served as attorney general of the United States (2001â05). He......
Asher ben Jehiel
Asher ben Jehiel was a major codifier of the Talmud, the rabbinical compendium of law, lore, and commentary. His......
Ashi
Ashi was a preeminent Babylonian amora, or interpreter of the Mishna, the legal compilation that was the basis......
AtatĂŒrk, Kemal
Kemal AtatĂŒrk was a soldier, statesman, and reformer who was the founder and first president (1923â38) of the Republic......
Audley, Thomas Audley, Baron
Thomas Audley, Baron Audley was the lord chancellor of England from 1533 to 1544, who helped King Henry VIII break......
Aumale, Henri-EugĂšne-Philippe-Louis dâOrlĂ©ans, Duke dâ
Henri-EugĂšne-Philippe-Louis dâOrlĂ©ans, duke dâAumale was the fourth son of King Louis-Philippe of France, a colonialist,......
Austin, John
John Austin was an English jurist whose writings, especially The Province of Jurisprudence Determined (1832), advocated......
Azzone Dei Porci
Azzone Dei Porci was a leader of the Bolognese school of jurists and one of the few to write systematic summaries......
Aáž„a Of Shabáž„a
Aáž„a Of Shabáž„a was a prominent Babylonian Talmudist who is the first rabbinical writer known to history after the......
Babington, Anthony
Anthony Babington was an English conspirator, a leader of the unsuccessful âBabington Plotâ to assassinate Queen......
Bachofen, Johann Jakob
Johann Jakob Bachofen was a Swiss jurist and early anthropological writer whose book Das Mutterrecht (1861; âMother......
Bacon, Francis
Francis Bacon was the lord chancellor of England (1618â21). A lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and master of the......
Bacon, John
John Bacon was an American clergyman, legislator, and judge who was an early advocate of civil and religious liberty.......
Bacon, Sir Nicholas
Sir Nicholas Bacon was a high official in the government of Queen Elizabeth I and father of the renowned philosopher......
Bahƫtī, al-
al-Bahƫtī was a teacher and the last major exponent in Egypt of the កanbalī school of Islamic law. Little is known......
Bailey, F. Lee
F. Lee Bailey was an American lawyer who served as defense counsel in several of the most widely publicized criminal......
Baker, LaFayette Curry
LaFayette Curry Baker was the chief of the U.S. Federal Detective Police during the American Civil War and director......
Baker, Newton D.
Newton D. Baker was a lawyer, political leader, and U.S. secretary of war during World War I. In 1897 Baker began......
Baldwin, Henry
Henry Baldwin was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1830â44). Baldwin graduated with honors......
Ball, William
William Ball was an American attorney and expert on constitutional questions concerning the role of religion in......
Balsamon, Theodore
Theodore Balsamon was the principal Byzantine legal scholar of the medieval period and patriarch of Antioch (c.......
Balue, Jean
Jean Balue was a French cardinal, the treacherous minister of King Louis XI. Of humble parentage, Balue was first......
Bar Hebraeus
Bar Hebraeus was a medieval Syrian scholar noted for his encyclopaedic learning in science and philosophy and for......
Barbosa, Ruy
Ruy Barbosa was a Brazilian orator, statesman, and jurist. Barbosa, an eloquent liberal, wrote the constitution......
Barbour, Philip P.
Philip P. Barbour was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1836â41) and political figure known......
Barr, Bob
Bob Barr is an American politician and attorney who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives......
Barr, William
William Barr is an American lawyer and government official who served as attorney general of the United States......
Barrett, Amy Coney
Amy Coney Barrett is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 2020. She is the fifth......
Bartolus of Saxoferrato
Bartolus of Saxoferrato was a lawyer, law teacher at Perugia, and chief among the postglossators, or commentators,......
Basarab, Matthew
Matthew Basarab was an enlightened prince of Walachia (in present Romania) whose reign (1632â54) was marked by......
Basil
Basil was an ambitious and enterprising prince of Moldavia (1634â53) who introduced the first written laws and......
Bates, Edward
Edward Bates was a lawyer and Whig politician who joined the Republican Party before the U.S. Civil War and served......
Bathurst, Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl, Baron Bathurst of Battlesden, Lord Apsley, Baron of Apsley
Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst was a statesman, the eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl Bathurst, whose title......
Bean, Roy
Roy Bean was a justice of the peace and saloonkeeper who styled himself as the âlaw west of the Pecos.â For much......
Beaumanoir, Philippe de Remi, sire de
Philippe de Remi, sire de Beaumanoir was a French administrator and jurist whose major work, Coutumes de Beauvaisis......
Beccaria, Cesare
Cesare Beccaria was an Italian criminologist and economist whose Dei delitti e delle pene (1764; Eng. trans. J.A.......
Bedi, Kiran
Kiran Bedi is an Indian social activist who was the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) and who......
Bee, Frederick
Frederick Bee was an American attorney, entrepreneur, and diplomat who was one of the principal advocates for the......
Beer, Israel
Israel Beer was an Israeli military analyst who was convicted (1962) for treason as a Soviet agent. Arriving in......
Belli, Melvin
Melvin Belli was an American lawyer who was renowned for his flamboyant presentations in court. He was often dubbed......
Belli, Pierino
Pierino Belli was a Piedmontese soldier, jurist, and an authority on the law of war who is considered one of the......
Benckendorff, Aleksandr Khristoforovich, Count (Graf)
Aleksandr Khristoforovich, Count Benckendorff was a general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Napoleonic......
Benjamin, Judah P.
Judah P. Benjamin was a prominent lawyer in the United States before the American Civil War (1861â65) and in England......
Bentham, Jeremy
Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher, economist, and theoretical jurist, the earliest and chief expounder......
Bentsen, Lloyd
Lloyd Bentsen was an American Democratic politician who was a longtime U.S. senator (1971â93) before serving as......
Beria, Lavrenty
Lavrenty Beria was the director of the Soviet secret police who played a major role in the purges of Joseph Stalinâs......
Berryer, Pierre-Antoine
Pierre-Antoine Berryer was a French lawyer and politician, defender of the freedom of the press during the reigns......
Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani statesman and politician who served as president (1971â73) and prime minister......
Biden, Beau
Beau Biden was an American lawyer and state attorney general of Delaware (2007â15) and the eldest son of Joe Biden,......
Biden, Hunter
Hunter Biden is an American attorney and businessman and the sole surviving son of Joe Biden, 46th president of......
Binney, Horace
Horace Binney was an American lawyer and politician who established the legality of charitable trusts in the United......
Bird, Rose Elizabeth
Rose Elizabeth Bird was the chief justice of the California Supreme Court from 1977 to 1987. Bird was both the......
Birkenhead, Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st earl of
Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st earl of Birkenhead was a British statesman, lawyer, and noted orator. As lord chancellor......
Bishop, Bronwyn
Bronwyn Bishop is an Australian Liberal Party politician who served in the federal Senate (1987â94) and House of......
Black, Hugo
Hugo Black was a lawyer, politician, and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1937â71).......
Black, Jeremiah Sullivan
Jeremiah Sullivan Black was a U.S. attorney general during Pres. James Buchananâs administration who counseled......
Blackmun, Harry A.
Harry A. Blackmun was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1970 to 1994. Blackmun graduated......
Blackstone, Sir William
Sir William Blackstone was an English jurist, whose Commentaries on the Laws of England, 4 vol. (1765â69), is the......
Blair, Francis Preston, Jr.
Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was a Missouri politician of the antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras who......
Blair, John
John Blair was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1790â96). A member of one of Virginiaâs......
Blake, Edward
Edward Blake was a lawyer and statesman, premier of Ontario (1871â72), and leader of the Canadian Liberal Party......
Blanche, Todd
Before Todd Blanche was the attorney general of the United States during Pres. Donald Trumpâs second term, he was......
Blastares, Matthew
Matthew Blastares was a Greek Orthodox monk, theological writer, and Byzantine legal authority whose systematizing......
Blatchford, Samuel
Samuel Blatchford was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1882â93). Blatchford graduated from......
Bluntschli, Johann Kaspar
Johann Kaspar Bluntschli was a writer on international law, whose book Das moderne Kriegsrecht (1866; âThe Modern......
Boko, Duma
Duma Boko human rights lawyer and politician who became president of Botswana in 2024. His stunning victory ended......
Bonaparte, Charles Joseph
Charles Joseph Bonaparte was a lawyer and grandson of JĂ©rĂŽme Bonaparte, youngest brother of Napoleon; he became......
Bondi, Pam
Pam Bondi was the polarizing attorney general (2025â2026 ) in the second administration of Republican Pres. Donald......
Booth, Cherie
Cherie Booth is a British attorney specializing in issues of public law and human rights, among others. She is......
Bork, Robert H.
Robert H. Bork was an American legal scholar, federal judge, and onetime U.S. solicitor general (1973â77) whose......
Boutwell, George Sewall
George Sewall Boutwell was a leading Radical Republican during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. Boutwell......
Bove, Emil
Emil Bove (born 1981, Geneva, New York) is the principal associate deputy attorney general in U.S. Pres. Donald......
Brackley, Thomas Egerton, Viscount, Baron Ellesmere
Thomas Egerton, Viscount Brackley was an English lawyer and diplomat who secured the independence of the Court......
Bracton, Henry de
Henry de Bracton was a leading medieval English jurist and author of De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae (c.......