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Model Code of Evidence records
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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 the course of establishing what would become the First Restatement of the Law, the American Law Institute (ALI) considered including a clarification of the Law of Evidence. However, due to perceived deficiencies in the law, the American Law Institute resolved to begin a project that would provide a thorough reworking of the existing law of evidence. In 1939, the ALI secured funding to develop such a project. Edmund M. Morgan served as Reporter, and John H. Wigmore served as Chief Consultant. The resulting body of law was the Model Code of Evidence, adopted by the ALI in May 1942.
The Model Code of Evidence Records, 1939-1954, include correspondence, meeting minutes, drafts, memoranda, comments, student editions, outside publications, and related records concerning the drafting and adoption of the Model Code of Evidence, an effort to standardize common-lawevidence rules.
The Correspondence series includes among William Draper Lewis, Herbert F. Goodrich, and other parties concerning the drafting of the Model Code of Evidence.
The Meeting Records series primarily includes minutes of meetings of the Code of Evidence Conference.
The Committee on Evidence series primarily includes correspondence among members of the Committee on Evidence, the main group involved in the drafting of the Code of Evidence. This series also includes materials related to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law's Uniform Rules of Evidence.
The Drafts series includes drafts created by the committee that created the Model Code of Evidence. This series also includes some comments by Chief Consultant John H. Wigmore, whose commentary on drafts was sometimes adopted as an official draft document by the committee.
The Comments and Memoranda series includes comments and memoranda submitted by individuals who served as consultants to Model Code of Evidence Project, as well as organizations and other people interested in the project. Some of John H. Wigmore's comments were officially adopted as draft documents by the Committee on Evidence, and can therefore be found in the Drafts series.
First shipment received from the American Law Institute in 1995.
Preliminary container list prepared by Melissa Backes, 1995-2005.
Reprocessed by Chris Defeliciantonio, September 2007.
Encoded by Jordon Steele, May 2008.
Subject
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
- Finding Aid Author
- Jordon Steele
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
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None.
- Use Restrictions
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The archives reserves the right to restrict access to material of sensitive nature. Please contact the department for further information.