History of American Land Law - Volume 1

A History of American Land Law is the only comprehensive treatise on this important subject. In Volume 1: English Origins and the American Colonial Experience, the author traces the rise of land-related customs and laws in western civilization generally and in the British Isles specifically. The evolution of Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman laws into the celebrated English common law, and the transmission of this law to the English North American colonies, are described in detail. The narrative reveals the many ways this centuries-long story touched the lives of ordinary people. In Volume 2: Land Law in the American States, the text describes and documents for each state to what extent the English common law and land law became part of that state's basic jurisprudence. In addition, one chapter shows how American states have considered comprehensively reforming certain areas of land law, and the final chapter describes the development of and changes in dozens of American land law topics in modern times.

About the author:

David A. Thomas is Rex E. Lee Endowed Chair and Professor of Law Emeritus at Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he taught from 1974-2012. He has written approximately 50 books and dozens of law review articles, mostly in the areas of property law, legal history, real estate finance, legal history, civil procedure, federal courts and legal education. He is the editor-in-chief and principal author of the 15-volume national property law treatise Thompson on Real Property, Thomas Editions. During his career he received five professor of the year recognitions. He was educated at Brigham Young University (B.A., 1967; M.L.S., 1977) and Duke University (J.D., 1972). His legal education was interrupted for military service, and he returned to law school as a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. He and his wife Paula have eight children and live in Orem, Utah.