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The Dorr Letters ProjectDraft of letter from Thomas Wilson Dorr to Chief Justice John Savage: |
Introduction
This important letter provides historians with a detailed timeline of Thomas Dorr's legal studies. After graduating second in his class from Harvard in 1823, Dorr studied in New York City under Chancellor James Kent (1763-1847), the leading state-level jurist in the country. After his tutelage under Kent, Dorr clerked in the Providence law office of John Whipple, one of Rhode Island's leading attorneys. In 1842, Whipple became one of Dorr's most bitter opponents, serving on the advisory council to Governor Samuel Ward King.
Letter
New York, May 16, 1831 -
The undersigned, a native of Rhode-Island, respectfully represents to the Hon.
Judges of the Supreme Court of the State of New York that he is desirous of being
admitted a counselor in said court, and that his course of education
and practice in the law has been as follows: — he graduated at Harvard
University in the year 1823; and began his law studies in the city of
New York with attending Chanc. Kent's lectures which commenced on Feb-
ruary 1824 and continued 4 months; he attended the 2nd course,
which commenced in Nov. of the same year, and continued till the
end of April 1825, six months, and received a certificate from the
Chancellor, stating that, in his opinion, the 2 courses would be allowed
as one year’s study in the courts of the state. The undersigned in
the autumn of the same year (1825) entered the office of John Whipple Esq.
of Providence, R.I. and remained with him, till March 1827, when
he was presented by that gentleman to the bar meeting of the county
of Providence, by them recommended to the Supreme Court, & by the
court admitted an attorney & counselor of all the courts in the state.
He opened an office, the next month, and continued in the practice of
law till Nov. 1828; the time of his studies and practice, not inclu-
ding the intervals between Chanc. Kent's courses of lectures, and between
the termination of the lectures and his entrance into Mr. Whipple 's
office is nearly 4 years. Since the return of the undersigned from a journey
thro’ the Western & Southern States, in part for the benefit of his health, he
has resided in this city. The undersigned would also state that for
more than 6 months after leaving Providence his office was retained
as he had not decided about relinquishing the practice of the law in
that place, and, that as he is informed & believes, his absence
from Rhode-Island does not impair his privileges in the courts
of that state, and that he is still entitled to the degree of counsellor in the same.
He would also state that he was not aware
that the short time of his standing as a counselor in R.I. would
be any objection to his admission here, and that if he had been, by
entering his name in the office of an attorney in this state, he might,
before the present time, have been entitled to the degree of an attorney in [...]
, provided his studies out of the state had been allowed
state
here; and that if not admitted a counselor, a long time must
intervene before he can practice at all in this state.
T. W. D.
Questions
Aside from Dorr's legal training, what other elements of biographical information can you gather from this letter?