NOTICE: Thomas J Semmes' History of the Laws of Louisiana and the Civil Law (in the Journal of Civil Law Studies)

The (2012) 5 JOURNAL OF CIVIL LAW STUDIES (JCLS), a publication of the CENTER FOR CIVIL LAW STUDIES (CCLS) of the Paul M Hebert Law Center of Louisiana State University, has been published and can be downloaded HERE. 

And, in addition to a short note by me, it contains a ‘Rediscovered Treasure’, ie Thomas J Semmes’ History of the Laws of Louisiana and of the Civil Law. As Professor Olivier Moréteau, the JCLS editor, notes:

Whether familiar or not with Louisiana law, readers will also enjoy a  Rediscovered Treasure of Louisiana Law, a late-19^th century essay by Thomas Semmes surveying the history of the laws of Louisiana and offering a short and accurate overview of the development of Roman law, proving if need be that the Louisiana legal system, though technically 200- or 300-year old, has roots ten times older. As expressed by the well-known Southern author, William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”