author
George Sharswood
1810–1883
Remembered as a Philadelphia jurist, legal teacher, and editor of a widely used American edition of Blackstone, he helped shape how law was studied and practiced in the nineteenth century. His career joined the courtroom, the classroom, and the bench at the highest level in Pennsylvania.
1 Audiobook
An Essay on Professional Ethics Second Edition
by George Sharswood
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1810, George Sharswood studied at the University of Pennsylvania, graduated in 1828, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar a few years later. Early in his career he also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives before moving more fully into legal work and the judiciary.
Sharswood became a judge of the District Court of Philadelphia and later served on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, eventually becoming chief justice. He was also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught law and influenced generations of students.
He is especially remembered for his writing and editorial work. Along with judicial opinions, he produced legal texts on subjects such as professional ethics and prepared an American edition of Blackstone's Commentaries, helping make foundational legal ideas more accessible to American readers in the nineteenth century.