Wallace was the last Supreme Court reporter whose name was used in official citations of cases.
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 Reporter
John W. Wallace
Reporters, Supreme Court
Reporting of opinions
Staff of the Court
Supreme Court Reporter
United States Reports