"The law is the witness and external deposit of our moral life. Its history is the history of the moral development of the race."

No jurist has left his mark on American law like Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. A steadfast defender of free speech, Supreme Court Justice Holmes also championed judicial restraint, advocating that a judge's opinions shouldn't prevent him or her from upholding the will of the elected legislative majority. Holmes did more than hand down rulings in his finely crafted decisions--he inspired the people to follow the law.

In The Path of the Law, Holmes discusses his personal philosophy on legal practice. The Common Law is a series of lectures that established Holmes's reputation as a witty and articulate writer.

J. Craig Williams is the founding member of WLF The Williams Lindberg Law Firm, PC. He is the author of How To Get Sued, Bad Decisions, and the creator of the award-winning blog "May It Please the Court." He has taught at the University of California at Irvine and Stanford Law School, among others.