Francis L. (Francis Lewis) Wellman

Born in Massachusetts in 1854, Francis Lewis Wellman studied at Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he graduated as valedictorian of his class. Early in his career he taught law in Boston and later built his reputation in New York.

Wellman served in public legal work for New York City and became an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. He later moved into private practice and was widely known as a skilled trial lawyer, especially for his courtroom advocacy.

As an author, he wrote practical books drawn from real legal experience. The most famous, The Art of Cross-Examination (first published in 1903), helped make his name known far beyond the courtroom and is still remembered as an influential guide to trial practice.