Lawyers, Judges & Jurists, MOR-SAN
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
Morris, Esther Hobart
Esther Hobart Morris was an American suffragist and public official whose major role in gaining voting rights for......
Mortimer, Sir John
Sir John Mortimer was an English barrister and writer who wrote plays for the stage, television, radio, and motion......
Morton, John
John Morton was an archbishop of Canterbury and cardinal, one of the most powerful men in England in the reign......
Motley, Constance Baker
Constance Baker Motley was an American lawyer and jurist, an effective legal advocate in the civil rights movement......
Mueller, Robert
Robert Mueller was an American law enforcement official who served as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation......
Mukasey, Michael
Michael Mukasey is an American lawyer and judge who served as attorney general of the United States (2007–09).......
Murphy, Frank
Frank Murphy was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1940 until his death. He was......
Murray, Pauli
Pauli Murray was a key figure who helped define the intellectual foundations of the 20th-century civil rights and......
Musa, Said
Said Musa is a Belizean lawyer and politician who served as prime minister of Belize (1998–2008). He was the first......
Muskie, Edmund
Edmund Muskie was an American Democratic politician who served as governor of Maine (1955–59), U.S. senator (1959–80),......
Mussey, Ellen Spencer
Ellen Spencer Mussey was an American lawyer, educator, and reformer who, self-tutored in the law, helped establish......
Nader, Ralph
Ralph Nader is an American lawyer and consumer advocate who was a four-time candidate for the U.S. presidency (1996,......
Napier, MacVey
MacVey Napier was a Scottish lawyer, first professor of conveyancing at the University of Edinburgh, who was an......
Navalny, Alexei
Alexei Navalny was a Russian lawyer, anti-corruption activist, and politician who achieved international recognition......
Nelson, Bill
Bill Nelson is an American Democratic politician who represented Florida in the U.S. Senate from 2001 to 2019.......
Nelson, Samuel
Samuel Nelson was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1845–72). Nelson was the son......
Ness, Eliot
Eliot Ness was an American crime fighter, head of a nine-man team of law officers called the “Untouchables,” who......
Nestor, Agnes
Agnes Nestor was an American labour leader and reformer, remembered as a powerful force in unionizing women workers......
Newman, James Roy
James Roy Newman was an American lawyer, best known for his monumental four-volume historical survey of mathematics,......
Ney, Michel
Michel Ney was one of the best known of Napoleon’s marshals (from 1804). He pledged his allegiance to the restored......
Niceforo, Alfredo
Alfredo Niceforo was an Italian sociologist, criminologist, and statistician who posited the theory that every......
Nottingham, Heneage Finch, 1st earl of, Baron Finch of Daventry
Heneage Finch, 1st earl of Nottingham was the lord chancellor of England (1675–82), called “the father of equity.”......
Olney, Richard
Richard Olney was the U.S. secretary of state (1895–97) who asserted, under the Monroe Doctrine, the right of the......
Oppenheim, Lassa Francis Lawrence
Lassa Francis Lawrence Oppenheim was a German jurist and teacher of law who was best known for his Positivist approach......
Osborne, Thomas Mott
Thomas Mott Osborne was an American penologist whose inauguration of self-help programs for prisoners through Mutual......
Otis, James
James Otis was an American political activist during the period leading up to the American Revolution. He helped......
O’Connor, Sandra Day
Sandra Day O’Connor was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was......
Page, Alan
Alan Page is an American gridiron football player, jurist, and writer who in 1971 became the first defensive player......
Paine, Robert Treat
Robert Treat Paine was an American politician, jurist, member of the Continental Congress (1774–78), and signer......
Palmer, A. Mitchell
A. Mitchell Palmer was an American lawyer, legislator, and U.S. attorney general (1919–21) whose highly publicized......
Papinian
Papinian was a Roman jurist who posthumously became the definitive authority on Roman law, possibly because his......
Parker, Alton B
Alton B. Parker was an American jurist and Democratic presidential nominee in 1904, defeated by the incumbent,......
Parsons, Richard
Richard Parsons was an American businessman and attorney who was CEO (2002–07) of AOL Time Warner (now WarnerMedia)......
Patel, Kash
Kash Patel is an American lawyer and government official who serves as director of the FBI (2025– ) in the Republican......
Paterson, Sir Alexander
Sir Alexander Paterson was a penologist who modified the progressive Borstal system of English reformatories for......
Paterson, William
William Paterson was an Irish-born American jurist, one of the framers of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. senator (1789–90),......
Patrick, Deval
Deval Patrick is an American politician, the first Black governor of Massachusetts, serving from 2007 to 2015,......
Pausanias
Pausanias was a Spartan commander during the Greco-Persian Wars who was accused of treasonous dealings with the......
Peckham, Rufus Wheeler
Rufus Wheeler Peckham was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1896 to 1909. Peckham was educated......
Peel, Robert
Robert Peel was a British prime minister (1834–35, 1841–46) and founder of the Conservative Party. Peel was responsible......
Pepper, Claude
Claude Pepper was an American politician, known as a champion of the elderly, who served for more than 60 years......
Pepperrell, Sir William, Baronet
Sir William Pepperrell, Baronet was a colonial American merchant, politician, and soldier who in 1745 commanded......
Phao Sriyanond
Phao Sriyanond was the director general of the Thai government’s national police, who as one of a powerful triumvirate,......
Phillips, Lena Madesin
Lena Madesin Phillips was an American lawyer and clubwoman, a moving force in establishing national and international......
Pierson, Julia
Julia Pierson is an American law-enforcement professional who became the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. Secret......
Pietro Della Vigna
Pietro Della Vigna was the chief minister of the Holy Roman emperor Frederick II, distinguished as a jurist, poet,......
Pike, Albert
Albert Pike was a lawyer, political writer, Masonic lodge leader, and Confederate general who played a central......
Pillay, Navi
Navi Pillay is an international jurist who has worked to protect and extend human rights around the world. In 2026......
Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was an American soldier, statesman, and diplomat who participated in the XYZ Affair,......
Pinkney, William
William Pinkney was a U.S. statesman and diplomat, considered one of the foremost lawyers of his day. A member......
Pitney, Mahlon
Mahlon Pitney was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1912–22). After graduating from the......
Pitt, Harvey
Harvey Pitt was an American jurist who was associated with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for......
Plunket, William Conyngham Plunket, 1st Baron
William Conyngham Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, parliamentary orator, successor to Henry......
Politis, Nikolaos Sokrates
Nikolaos Sokrates Politis was a Greek jurist and diplomat, a champion of disarmament and the peaceful settlement......
Pollock, Sir Frederick, 3rd Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet was an English legal scholar, noted for his History of English Law Before the......
Pompeius Magnus Pius, Sextus
Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius was the younger son of the Roman general Pompey the Great, and a vigorous opponent......
Portalis, Jean-Étienne-Marie
Jean-Étienne-Marie Portalis was a French lawyer and politician, one of the chief draftsmen of the Napoleonic Code,......
Pound, Roscoe
Roscoe Pound was an American jurist, botanist, and educator, chief advocate of “sociological jurisprudence” and......
Powell, Lewis F., Jr.
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1972–87). Powell was the......
Poyet, Guillaume
Guillaume Poyet was the chancellor of France (from 1538) who sought to reform legal procedures in France during......
Prasad, Rajendra
Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician, lawyer, and journalist who was the first president of the Republic of......
Priebus, Reince
Reince Priebus is an American lawyer and politician who was chief of staff (2017) in the administration of U.S.......
Proudhon, Pierre-Joseph
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was a French libertarian socialist and journalist whose doctrines became the basis for later......
Puchta, Georg Friedrich
Georg Friedrich Puchta was a German jurist noted for his works on ancient Roman law. Puchta’s father, Wolfgang......
Quinney, Richard
Richard Quinney is an American philosopher and criminologist known for his critical philosophical approach to criminal......
Quisling, Vidkun
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer whose collaboration with Nazi Germany in their occupation of Norway......
Radbruch, Gustav
Gustav Radbruch was a German jurist and legal philosopher, one of the foremost exponents of legal relativism and......
Rama I
Rama I was a Siamese king (1782–1809) and founder of the Chakkri dynasty (q.v.), which reigns in Thailand. (Read......
Ramathibodi I
Ramathibodi I was the founder and first king (1351–69) of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya. Little is known of Ramathibodi’s......
Ramon Berenguer I
Ramon Berenguer I was the count of Barcelona from 1035 to 1076. His father, Berenguer Ramon I (reigned 1018–35),......
Ramos, Fidel
Fidel Ramos was a military leader and politician who was president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was......
Ranade, Mahadev Govind
Mahadev Govind Ranade was one of India’s Citpavan Brahmans of Maharashtra who was a judge of the High Court of......
Randolph, Edmund Jennings
Edmund Jennings Randolph was a Virginia lawyer who played an important role in drafting and ratifying the U.S.......
Rau, Sir Benegal Narsing
Sir Benegal Narsing Rau was one of the foremost Indian jurists of his time. He helped draft the constitutions of......
Ray, Charlotte E.
Charlotte E. Ray was an American teacher and the first Black female lawyer in the United States. Ray studied at......
Ražnatović, Željko
Željko Ražnatović was a Serbian nationalist who headed the paramilitary Serbian Volunteer Guard (known as the Tigers),......
Reading, Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st marquess of
Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st marquess of Reading was a politician, lord chief justice of England, and diplomat. Called......
Reckless, Walter
Walter Reckless was an American criminologist known for his containment theory of criminology, which stated that......
Reed, Stanley F.
Stanley F. Reed was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1938–57). Reed was the only......
Reeve, Tapping
Tapping Reeve was a U.S. legal educator and jurist. In 1784 Reeve founded the Litchfield Law School, which was......
Reeves, Bass
Bass Reeves was an American lawman who was one of the first deputy U.S. marshals of African descent in the American......
Rehnquist, William
William Rehnquist was the 16th chief justice of the United States, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1971 and elevated......
Renault, Louis
Louis Renault was a French jurist and educator, cowinner in 1907 (with Ernesto Teodoro Moneta) of the Nobel Prize......
Reno, Janet
Janet Reno was an American lawyer and public official who became the first woman attorney general (1993–2001) of......
Rich, Richard Rich, 1st Baron
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich was a powerful minister to England’s King Henry VIII and lord chancellor during most......
Richards, Sir William Buell
Sir William Buell Richards was a politician and jurist who was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of......
Rifkind, Malcolm
Malcolm Rifkind is a British Conservative Party politician who served in the cabinets (1986–97) of Prime Ministers......
Robert Fico
Robert Fico is the prime minister of Slovakia, winning his most recent term in 2023. Since 2006 he has held the......
Roberts, John G., Jr.
John G. Roberts, Jr. is the 17th chief justice of the United States (2005– ). Roberts was the second of four children......
Roberts, Owen Josephus
Owen Josephus Roberts was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1930–45). Roberts was......
Romilly, Sir Samuel
Sir Samuel Romilly was an English legal reformer whose chief efforts were devoted to lessening the severity of......
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson
Dovey Johnson Roundtree was an American lawyer, civil rights activist, military officer, minister, and an important......
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss-born philosopher, writer, and political theorist whose treatises and novels inspired......
Rowell, Newton Wesley
Newton Wesley Rowell was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as chief justice of Ontario in 1936–37. Rowell......
Rush, Richard
Richard Rush was an American attorney, diplomat, and statesman who, while serving as the acting U.S. secretary......
Russell, Charles Russell, Baron
Charles Russell, Baron Russell was the lord chief justice of England from June 1894 until his death. A formidable......
Rutledge, John
John Rutledge was an American legislator who, as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, strongly......
Rutledge, Wiley B., Jr.
Wiley B. Rutledge, Jr. was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1943–49). Rutledge taught high......
Rákóczi, György, II
György Rákóczi, II was the prince of Transylvania from 1648, who had the laws of the principality codified, but......
Sanford, Edward T(erry)
Edward T. Sanford was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1923–30). Sanford was admitted to......