Thomas McSweeney
@mcsweeney1693.bsky.social
Professor of Law @wmlawschool. Legal historian, medievalist, W&M alum. Writing about English law in the 13th century. Author of Priests of the Law (Oxford 2019), on the Bracton treatise and its authors. All views my own, not W&M's.
Excited to see Maurits den Hollander’s Court, Credit, and Capital in print with Studies in Legal History at CUP. Court, Credit, and Capital uncovers how Amsterdam’s 17th-century insolvency court transformed insolvency law—from punishment to rehabilitation 1/3
October 16, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Excited to see Maurits den Hollander’s Court, Credit, and Capital in print with Studies in Legal History at CUP. Court, Credit, and Capital uncovers how Amsterdam’s 17th-century insolvency court transformed insolvency law—from punishment to rehabilitation 1/3
Really excited for @zacharyherz.bsky.social's new book, The God and the Bureaucrat: Roman Law, Imperial Sovereignty, and Other Stories, out now with Studies in Legal History at CUP. 1/6
August 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Really excited for @zacharyherz.bsky.social's new book, The God and the Bureaucrat: Roman Law, Imperial Sovereignty, and Other Stories, out now with Studies in Legal History at CUP. 1/6
A very nice write up for the McGlothlin Award
2025 McGlothlin Teaching Award Given to Exceptional Business and Law Professors
The 2025 McGlothlin Award for Exceptional Teaching has been granted to Professor Thomas J. McSweeney of William & Mary Law School and to Professor Alex Woods of the Raymond A. Mason School of Busines...
law.wm.edu
May 22, 2025 at 11:05 AM
A very nice write up for the McGlothlin Award
I was honored to receive this at the law school graduation ceremony yesterday.
Congratulations to the William & Mary Law School class of 2025!
Congratulations to the William & Mary Law School class of 2025!
May 18, 2025 at 10:43 AM
I was honored to receive this at the law school graduation ceremony yesterday.
Congratulations to the William & Mary Law School class of 2025!
Congratulations to the William & Mary Law School class of 2025!
Happy to do this for the grads and families. I'm glad so many people are interested in the history of the law school. Enough people signed up that we had to split it into two tours today!
Professor McSweeney, leading Magical Legal History Tours for our graduates and their families, here for W&M's Commencement! @mcsweeney1693.bsky.social
May 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Happy to do this for the grads and families. I'm glad so many people are interested in the history of the law school. Enough people signed up that we had to split it into two tours today!
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Extremely pleased to announce (and first ever post here) that Danica Summerlin and my special issue on 'law beyond the legal renaissance', funded by @britishacademy.bsky.social, is now out, with open access introduction www.tandfonline.com/toc/flgh20/4... .
The Journal of Legal History
Volume 46, Issue 1 of The Journal of Legal History
www.tandfonline.com
March 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Extremely pleased to announce (and first ever post here) that Danica Summerlin and my special issue on 'law beyond the legal renaissance', funded by @britishacademy.bsky.social, is now out, with open access introduction www.tandfonline.com/toc/flgh20/4... .
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
And link to my own article: Politics from Law or Law as Politics? Hugh of Poitiers’s Chronica and the Politics of ius in the Mid-twelfth Century www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Politics from Law or Law as Politics? Hugh of Poitiers’s Chronica and the Politics of ius in the Mid-twelfth Century
This paper considers the relationship between the modern concepts of law and politics and the twelfth-century concept of ius (‘law, right’) in a chronicle written by a monk, Hugh of Poitiers, betwe...
www.tandfonline.com
March 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
And link to my own article: Politics from Law or Law as Politics? Hugh of Poitiers’s Chronica and the Politics of ius in the Mid-twelfth Century www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
I was thrilled to learn, just before Christmas, that I was elected to the American Law Institute. Many thanks to the colleagues who nominated me!
Thomas McSweeney of William & Mary Law School Elected to the American Law Institute
Thomas J. McSweeney, Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, has been named among the latest elected members of the American Law Institute.
law.wm.edu
January 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I was thrilled to learn, just before Christmas, that I was elected to the American Law Institute. Many thanks to the colleagues who nominated me!
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Sometimes working with manuscripts gets us really, really close to the people from the past allowing us to hear their voices. This is a story of a letter from a schoolgirl to her teacher, written probably sometime at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century. A thread 🧵 #medievalsky /1
December 22, 2024 at 12:02 PM
Sometimes working with manuscripts gets us really, really close to the people from the past allowing us to hear their voices. This is a story of a letter from a schoolgirl to her teacher, written probably sometime at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century. A thread 🧵 #medievalsky /1
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Murder at the Medieval Mill
Medieval millers were not always well liked and it’s not uncommon to read in criminal court records that a miller had been killed. This person leaving a windmill sure looks like they regret doing something nefarious at the mill with the mallet they're holding. 🧵1/5
Medieval millers were not always well liked and it’s not uncommon to read in criminal court records that a miller had been killed. This person leaving a windmill sure looks like they regret doing something nefarious at the mill with the mallet they're holding. 🧵1/5
December 12, 2024 at 4:22 PM
Murder at the Medieval Mill
Medieval millers were not always well liked and it’s not uncommon to read in criminal court records that a miller had been killed. This person leaving a windmill sure looks like they regret doing something nefarious at the mill with the mallet they're holding. 🧵1/5
Medieval millers were not always well liked and it’s not uncommon to read in criminal court records that a miller had been killed. This person leaving a windmill sure looks like they regret doing something nefarious at the mill with the mallet they're holding. 🧵1/5
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
I'm chairing this search, and we're really eager for applicants!
For my first post here: come work with us! Northwestern Law is hiring for our VAP program in the 2025-2026 academic year. This position is a fantastic opportunity for folks planning to enter legal academia. Please reach out with any questions. careers.northwestern.edu/psp/hr857prd...
November 25, 2024 at 3:31 PM
I'm chairing this search, and we're really eager for applicants!
Happy Birthday, Phi Beta Kappa!
248 years ago today, on December 5th, 1776, a group of William & Mary students met at the Raleigh Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street and established Phi Beta Kappa. The original minutes, running from 1776 to 1781, are held by Swem Library.
248 years ago today, on December 5th, 1776, a group of William & Mary students met at the Raleigh Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street and established Phi Beta Kappa. The original minutes, running from 1776 to 1781, are held by Swem Library.
December 5, 2024 at 12:16 PM
Happy Birthday, Phi Beta Kappa!
248 years ago today, on December 5th, 1776, a group of William & Mary students met at the Raleigh Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street and established Phi Beta Kappa. The original minutes, running from 1776 to 1781, are held by Swem Library.
248 years ago today, on December 5th, 1776, a group of William & Mary students met at the Raleigh Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street and established Phi Beta Kappa. The original minutes, running from 1776 to 1781, are held by Swem Library.
Happy birthday, William & Mary Law School!
On December 4th, 1779, the Board of Visitors met and reorganized the college, establishing a chair in law, the first in the United States.
From the Virginia Gazette, December 18, 1779.
On December 4th, 1779, the Board of Visitors met and reorganized the college, establishing a chair in law, the first in the United States.
From the Virginia Gazette, December 18, 1779.
December 4, 2024 at 1:13 PM
Happy birthday, William & Mary Law School!
On December 4th, 1779, the Board of Visitors met and reorganized the college, establishing a chair in law, the first in the United States.
From the Virginia Gazette, December 18, 1779.
On December 4th, 1779, the Board of Visitors met and reorganized the college, establishing a chair in law, the first in the United States.
From the Virginia Gazette, December 18, 1779.
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Correcting errors in medieval records:
You listed the wrong person as a killer in a court record. What do you do? Well, you could draw a line through the name, as the clerk did in this homicide case from 1255 when he accidentally listed Walter le Stock as the killer instead of Walter Stuttuk. 🧵1/4
You listed the wrong person as a killer in a court record. What do you do? Well, you could draw a line through the name, as the clerk did in this homicide case from 1255 when he accidentally listed Walter le Stock as the killer instead of Walter Stuttuk. 🧵1/4
December 3, 2024 at 4:09 PM
Correcting errors in medieval records:
You listed the wrong person as a killer in a court record. What do you do? Well, you could draw a line through the name, as the clerk did in this homicide case from 1255 when he accidentally listed Walter le Stock as the killer instead of Walter Stuttuk. 🧵1/4
You listed the wrong person as a killer in a court record. What do you do? Well, you could draw a line through the name, as the clerk did in this homicide case from 1255 when he accidentally listed Walter le Stock as the killer instead of Walter Stuttuk. 🧵1/4
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Do you want to stay up to date with scholarship on late medieval economic and social history?
@stephemmabrown.bsky.social's review of the literature published in 2023 is now available at Economic History Review doi.org/10.1111/ehr....
#MedievalSky #EconHist
@stephemmabrown.bsky.social's review of the literature published in 2023 is now available at Economic History Review doi.org/10.1111/ehr....
#MedievalSky #EconHist
<em>The Economic History Review</em> | EHS Journal | Wiley Online Library
Click on the article title to read more.
doi.org
December 2, 2024 at 8:46 PM
Do you want to stay up to date with scholarship on late medieval economic and social history?
@stephemmabrown.bsky.social's review of the literature published in 2023 is now available at Economic History Review doi.org/10.1111/ehr....
#MedievalSky #EconHist
@stephemmabrown.bsky.social's review of the literature published in 2023 is now available at Economic History Review doi.org/10.1111/ehr....
#MedievalSky #EconHist
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Medieval villages were often tasked with transporting people to gaol. This could be dangerous and expensive business. Friends and family of criminals could try to free the person through violence or bribery. And if a captive escaped, then the village would collectively be fined £5–£8! 🧵1/5
December 2, 2024 at 4:19 PM
Medieval villages were often tasked with transporting people to gaol. This could be dangerous and expensive business. Friends and family of criminals could try to free the person through violence or bribery. And if a captive escaped, then the village would collectively be fined £5–£8! 🧵1/5
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
I've put together a legal history starter pack for anyone interested in the history of crime & punishment, law, policing, social control, and violence. Please let me know if you want to (or know someone who should) be added to the list.
go.bsky.app/Vg4M4V5
go.bsky.app/Vg4M4V5
November 9, 2024 at 11:47 PM
I've put together a legal history starter pack for anyone interested in the history of crime & punishment, law, policing, social control, and violence. Please let me know if you want to (or know someone who should) be added to the list.
go.bsky.app/Vg4M4V5
go.bsky.app/Vg4M4V5
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Proud and happy to share that my first book 'Marginalized Religion and the Law in the Roman Empire' (based on my PhD research) will be out with OUP this December!
Interested? Pre-order now via global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Interested? Pre-order now via global.oup.com/academic/pro...
November 20, 2024 at 11:04 AM
Proud and happy to share that my first book 'Marginalized Religion and the Law in the Roman Empire' (based on my PhD research) will be out with OUP this December!
Interested? Pre-order now via global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Interested? Pre-order now via global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Reading some 11th-century charters
November 20, 2024 at 4:21 PM
Reading some 11th-century charters
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Agnes, daughter of Stephen, was accidentally killed when she was struck by the sail of a windmill in Herringswell, Suffolk, sometime around the year 1240. Accidents such as these (death by the arm of the windmill) are not common in the records I use in my research🧵1/3...
November 14, 2024 at 9:03 PM
Agnes, daughter of Stephen, was accidentally killed when she was struck by the sail of a windmill in Herringswell, Suffolk, sometime around the year 1240. Accidents such as these (death by the arm of the windmill) are not common in the records I use in my research🧵1/3...
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Did you know that the Marquis de LaFayette had a law degree from William & Mary?
I got to help out with the translation of the diploma.
news.wm.edu/2024/09/27/l...
I got to help out with the translation of the diploma.
news.wm.edu/2024/09/27/l...
Lafayette’s William & Mary honorary degree arrives on loan from France
The original document will be on display in Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center until Nov. 15, along with other rare items related to Lafayette.
news.wm.edu
September 28, 2024 at 1:33 PM
Did you know that the Marquis de LaFayette had a law degree from William & Mary?
I got to help out with the translation of the diploma.
news.wm.edu/2024/09/27/l...
I got to help out with the translation of the diploma.
news.wm.edu/2024/09/27/l...
Had a great conversation with the Ius Commune podcast about my book, Priests of the Law.
Bracton with Prof. Thomas J. McSweeney
Listen to this episode from Ius Commune Podcast on Spotify. In this episode, I interview Prof. McSweeney about his book, Priests of the Law.
open.spotify.com
July 15, 2024 at 10:53 AM
Had a great conversation with the Ius Commune podcast about my book, Priests of the Law.
Reposted by Thomas McSweeney
Meghan Woolley and I are editing a collection titled Emotions, Law, and Performance in England c.500-1500. Check out the CFP and get in touch if you're interested in contributing:
legalhistorymiscellany.com/call-for-pap...
legalhistorymiscellany.com/call-for-pap...
CALL FOR PAPERS: An Edited Collection: Emotions, Law, and Performance in England c. 500-1500
This collection, tentatively titled Emotions, Law, and Performance, invites cutting-edge work on the intersections between performance theory, legal history, and the history of emotions, prompting us ...
legalhistorymiscellany.com
June 17, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Meghan Woolley and I are editing a collection titled Emotions, Law, and Performance in England c.500-1500. Check out the CFP and get in touch if you're interested in contributing:
legalhistorymiscellany.com/call-for-pap...
legalhistorymiscellany.com/call-for-pap...
We had a reception for graduation award recipients yesterday, so I set this out for the students who were being inducted into the Order of the Coif.
Congratulations, class of 2024!
Congratulations, class of 2024!
May 18, 2024 at 11:15 AM
We had a reception for graduation award recipients yesterday, so I set this out for the students who were being inducted into the Order of the Coif.
Congratulations, class of 2024!
Congratulations, class of 2024!