Main content
American Law Institute Uniform Commercial Code records
Notifications
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
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) was the result of a joint project between the American Law Institute (ALI) and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law (NCCUSL). Work on the UCC began in 1945 in response to a perceived need by members of both ALI and NCCUSL to consolidate a number of uniform laws, previously enacted by NCCUSL, related to commercial transactions. NCCUSL was established in 1891 for the purpose of codifying state law by creating uniform laws and model acts. ALI was founded in 1923 in response to a perceived uncertainty and complexity in American law. The Institute had previously developed a codification of particular areas of the law, known as the Restatement of the Law. Thus, cooperation between ALI and NCCUSL on the UCC presented a likely partnership.
The first version of the UCC was approved in 1952. Over the next few years, the states responded to, analyzed, and amended the UCC. In 1961, the Permanent Editorial Board was established to review and help revise the UCC on a continual basis in accordance with the evolving culture of commercial transactions. As a result, the revision of the Uniform Commercial is an ongoing cooperative project between ALI and NCCUSL. Revisions to the UCC began in 1967. Over the next 40 years, NCCUSL and ALI studied and revised various articles. UCC revision is an ongoing project that continues to this day.
The Uniform Commercial Code Records, 1935-2003, include historical records, drafts, comments, correspondence, and other materials related to the creation of the Uniform Commercial Code, which consolidated and codified previous uniform laws related to commercial transaction.
- Background Materials
- Administrative Records
- Meeting Records
- Correspondence
- Revised Uniform Sales Act Records
- Uniform Commercial Code Drafting Records
- Revised Article 9 Records
- Revised Article 8 Records
- Uniform New Payments Code Records
- [New] Article 2A Record
- Current Payment Methods Records
- Repealer of Article 6 and Revised Article 6 Records
- Article 2 Study Group Records
- Article 9 Study Group Records
- Amendments to Article 2A Records
- Permanent Editorial Board Commentaries
- Revised Article 5 Records
- Revised Article 2 Records
- Revised Article 8 Records
- Article 7 Task Force
- Revised Article 9 Records
- [New] Article 2B Records
- Revised Article 1 Records
- Revised Article 2A Records
- Proposed Amendments to Articles 2 and 2A
- Proposed Revisions to Articles 3 and 4
- Amendments to Article 7
- Comments
- New York State Law Revision Commission Materials
- State Responses
- Permanent Editorial Board Records
- Case Excerpts
- Subject Files
- Annotations
- Publications
First shipment received from the American Law Institute in 1995.
An item-level container list is available offline in spreadsheet form.
Preliminary container list prepared by Melissa Backes, 1995-2005.
Reprocessed by Jordon Steele, April 2008.
Encoded by Jordon Steele, April 2008.
As of April 2008, the Uniform Commercial Code is an ongoing project. Records will be processed as they become available.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
- Finding Aid Author
- Jordon Steele
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
-
None.
- Use Restrictions
-
The archives reserves the right to restrict access to materials of sensitive nature. Please contact the department for further information.
Collection Inventory
Articles, reports, letters, memoranda, agreements, and related materials regarding the circumstances under which the American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law agreed to work together on drafting the Uniform Commercial Code. Included is discussion among Karl Llewellyn, William Draper Lewis, William A. Schnader, and others regarding the creation of a Uniform Commercial Code.
General Physical Description noteAbout 55 items
Committee and member rosters, correspondence, and related materials regarding fundraising, revision, translation, licensing, and other activities of the Uniform Commercial Code Project, submitted to and created by the central administrative body of the American Law Institute.
Summary of money received from purchases of the Uniform Commercial Code, dates of submission for articles, and application for Taiwan Edition rights. Also included is a general file with letters sent to the Deputy Director's office, clippings, and other records.
General Physical Description noteAbout 30 items
Minutes, correspondence, and related records regarding the various meetings that contributed to the creation of parts of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Letters and related materials, sent to and received from board and committee members, including Herbert F. Goodrich, William Draper Lewis, and William A. Schnader.
Minutes, drafts, comments, correspondence, and related material regarding the drafting of the Revised Uniform Sales Act, enacted in 1944. The act served as a precursor to the Uniform Commercial Code.
Drafts and related materials regarding the drafting of the articles of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Drafts, committee reports, correspondence, and other records related to the drafting of the Uniform New Payments Code project, which attempted to revise aspects of Articles 3, 4, and 8. Drafted under the supervision of the 3-4-8 Committee of the Permanent Editorial Board, this project was eventually withdrawn and discontinued. It was alternately known as the New Payments Code and New Uniform Payments Code.
See also the "Current Payment Methods" series.
Drafts and other records related to the drafting of Article 2A, Leases.
See also the "Uniform New Payments Code" series.
Drafts related to the creation of the Current Payment Methods project, which created Article 4A ( Funds Transfers), revised Article 3 ( Negotiable Instruments--formerly Commercial Paper), and revised Article 4 ( Bank Deposits and Collections).
Drafts related to the subjects of Bulk Transfers and Bulk Sales.
Physical Description6 items
Drafts, comments, correspondence, notes, minutes and other records related to the work of the Article 2 Study Group, a project undertaken by the Permanent Editorial Board to suggest revisions to Article 2.
General Physical Description noteAbout 150 items
Drafts, correspondence, and other records related to a Permanent Editorial Board Study of Article 9, Secured Transactions. The study provided recommendations for revision.
Drafts related to the drafts of amendments to Article 2A, Leases.
Physical Description4 items
About 25 items
Drafts and other records related to the revision of Article 1, which details the general provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code.
General Physical Description noteAbout 20 items
Drafts, correspondence, and other records related to the revision of Article 5, Letters of Credit.
General Physical Description noteAbout 100 items
Drafts, correspondence, Article 2 Ad Hoc Committee records, and other records related to the revision of Article 2, Sales. This project was based on recommendations provided by the Article 2 Study Group.
See also "Article 2 Study Group" series.
General Physical Description noteAbout 250 items
Drafts and other records related to the revision of Article 8, Investment Securities.
General Physical Description noteAbout 20 items
Correspondence and other records related to a task force assigned to study Article 7, Documents of Title, which provided recommendations for the article's revision.
See also the "Amendments to Article 7" series.
General Physical Description noteAbout 10 items
Drafts, correspondence, Article 9 Ad Hoc Committee records, and other records related to the revision to Article 9, Secured Transactions. The project was based on recommendations from the Article 9 Study Group.
General Physical Description noteAbout 1,000 items
Drafts, correspondence, minutes, and other records related to the drafting of Article 2B, Software Contracts and Licenses of Information. The article was eventually not incorporated into the Uniform Commercial Code. It was adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform States Law as the
. General Physical Description noteAbout 1300 items
See also the "[New] Article 2A" series.
Drafts and other records related to the revision of Article 2A, Leases.
General Physical Description noteAbout 20 items
Drafts, correspondence, and other records related to amendments proposed for Articles 2 and 2A, Sales and Leases. This project was formerly known as [New] Revised Articles 2 and 2A.
See also the "Revised Article 2A" series.
General Physical Description noteAbout 150 items
Drafts related to the drafting of amendments to Article 7, Documents of Title.
See also the "Article 7 Task Force" series.
Physical Description3 items
Minutes, drafts, reports, recommendations, correspondence, and related material regarding the activities of the Permanent Editorial Board, an organization established in 1961 by ALI and NCCUSL to analyze, revise, and update the Uniform Commercial Code on a continual basis.
See also the "Permanent Editorial Board Commentaries" series.
Letters, reports, and related materials regarding external response to the Uniform Commercial Code.