Wallace, John W. Summary

Wallace followed his father into the study of law. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1833, but instead of going into practice, found himself attracted to legal scholarship and librarianship. He wrote highly regarded works of legal erudition and was a well-known legal authority before the Civil War. When Jeremiah S. Black resigned as Supreme Court reporter, Wallace was appointed in his place. He began his duties on March 21, 1863, and resigned from the position on October 9, 1875. During that period, twenty-three volumes of Supreme Court ReporterSupreme Court Reporter[Supreme Court Reporter] appeared attached to his name, and the twenty-third volume was the last one in the Court’s history to bear the name of the reporter on its spine. Thereafter, the volumes appeared as United States Reports, and the identity of the reporter was revealed only on each volume’s title page. Wallace’s work was highly praised for its erudition and accuracy. Upon his retirement, he continued to produce works of high-quality legal scholarship. He also served as the president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania from 1868 until his death in 1884.Reporters, Supreme CourtReporters, Supreme Court

Reporters, Supreme Court

Reporting of opinions

Staff of the Court

Supreme Court Reporter

United States Reports