Lincoln's Inn

By Tristin Turner and Cooper Sarafin

To become a barrister or judge in England and Wales, a person was required to receive an education from one of the four London inns of court. Lincoln's Inn, established approximately in the early 15th century and being the most spacious college, covering a total of eleven acres, is like the other inns in that it contained a chapel for worship, a library for studying and working, a dining hall for habitual meals, and residences for student living. Indeed, this Inn, like the others, was like its own town.

Lincoln's Inn is between Chancery Lane and Lincoln's Inn Field, which is an area, according to De Saussure, "where there is nothing in particular to be seen except some fine mansions , those belonging to the Duke of Ancaster and the Duke of Newcastle being particularly magnificent" (71). In noting this inn, De Saussure draws attention to its composition, specifically its multiple buildings and courts, which are inhabited by the law students. He also mentions that this inn has "a fine and well-kept garden, open to honest folk," implying that this inn, at least outside the courts and halls, was open to and can be enjoyed by the public and not exclusively reserved for the residents of the inn (p. 71).

Though the case can be made that the garden and outdoor area of Lincoln's Inn could act as a public sphere because of the universal public access, the same can not be said for the affairs within the walls. Law students may attempt to share opinions that bolster their own private interests or their expressed ideas may be regulated at certain times. The task to freely convey public opinions inside Lincoln's Inn would be no doubt a challenge.

This Inn today continues to serve as one of the nation's and even one of the world's most prestigious law schools. It has undergone major renovations since the 15th century, but a great deal of the original architecture still stands, scathed little by great calamities like the Great Fire of 1666 and The Blitz. This Inn is a true testament and symbol of the distinguished significance of law to society.

Sources:
César de Saussure. A Foreign View of England in the Reigns of George I and George II. London: J. Murray, 1902.
Wikipedia