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American Law Institute oral history collection
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library [Contact Us]3460 Chestnut Street, Biddle Law Library, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
In 1989, the American Law Institute began producing videotaped oral history interviews with individuals who were active in the Institute's affairs. The project is ongoing.
The Oral Histories Record Group, 1989-1993, includes video oral history recordings with Herbert Wechsler (1989 April 13), Homer Kripke (1989 September 9), and A. James Casner (1990 May 16). Each oral history has a corresponding transcript. Also included is a typewritten transcript and video recording of an oral history with Paul Wolkin (1993 July 8 and 26).
Chronological by date of recording.
Recordings and corresponding transcripts will be added to this record group as new interviews are recorded.
The videos and transcripts were digitized and are available here: http://www.law.upenn.edu/bll/archives/ali/digicoll/oralhistories.html.
The American Law Institute's audiovisual department currently holds the masters of the recordings.
Transferred to the American Law Institute Archives in 2010.
Processed by Jordon Steele, January 2011.
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
- Finding Aid Author
- Jordon Steele.
- Finding Aid Date
- 1/31/2011
- Access Restrictions
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The archives reserves the right to restrict access to materials of sensitive nature. Please contact the department for further information.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Collection Inventory
Professor Herbert Wechsler served as Director of The American Law Institute from 1963 to 1984. Previously, he was Chief Reporter for the Model Penal Code from 1952 until 1962.
Professor Homer Kripke, a leading commercial law scholar and practitioner, was a faculty member of ALI-ABA's Advanced Course of Study on The Emerging New Uniform Commercial Code presented in New York City September 7-9, 1989. Founded in 1923, the Institute has been involved with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in the drafting of the Uniform Commercial Code and its revisions since the 1940s. Homer Kripke was an important figure in the Uniform Commercial Code project almost from its inception. He was also involved in the 1970s as a consultant in the Institute's Federal Securities Code project.
--Adapted from an introduction the Kripke's transcript written by Paul Wolkin.
Professor James A. Casner served the American Law Institute in a variety of roles. He was a Special Reporter and Adviser for portions of the original Restatement of Property and the Reporter for the Restatement, Second, of Property (Landlord and Tenant and Donative Transfers) and for the Institute's projects on Federal Estate and Gift Taxation and Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code.
--Adapted from an introduction to Casner's transcript written by Paul Wolkin.
At the end of 1992, Paul Wolkin completed more than 45 consecutive years in the administration of The American Law Institute. He first joined the Institute in the summer of 1947 as assistant to the ALI's new Director, Judge Herbert Goodrich, and he held the title of ALI Assistant Director from 1955 until 1977, when he was named Executive Vice President. In 1963 he had also become Executive Director of the ALI-ABA Committee on Continuing Professional Education, and so for nearly 30 years he was responsible for the day-today operations of the two organizations in their shared Philadelphia headquarters. At the beginning of 1993 he became Executive Vice President Emeritus and he joined the Institute's Council.
--Adapted from an introduction to Wolkin's transcript written by Mike Greenwald.