author

Richard William Hill

1878–1947

Best known as a co-author of the early 20th-century textbook Commercial Law, he wrote practical legal guidance for bankers rather than literary fiction. His work reflects the world of American banking education in the 1910s and 1920s.

1 Audiobook

Commercial Law

Commercial Law

by Richard D. (Richard Dudley) Currier, Richard William Hill, Samuel Williston

About the author

Richard William Hill (1878–1947) is a relatively obscure figure today, but surviving records show that he was a lawyer and banking educator in the United States. Project Gutenberg’s author listing confirms his dates, and the prefatory material to Commercial Law identifies him as a member of the New York Bar and secretary of the American Institute of Banking.

Hill is best known for his role in preparing Commercial Law, a textbook created for the American Institute of Banking and published in 1921. The book was written jointly with Richard D. Currier and built on earlier work by Samuel Williston, with the aim of giving bankers a clear, usable understanding of legal principles relevant to their profession.

Because so little biographical information is readily available, the public record presents Hill mainly through his professional work rather than through personal details. What does come through clearly is his practical focus: helping readers recognize legal issues in everyday business life and approach them with more confidence and care.