It is an authoritative and lively history of the Law Society of Upper Canada and of Ontario's lawyers, from the founding of the Society by ten lawyers in 1797, to the crises which shook the society and the legal profession in the mid-1990s.

Christopher Moore is the author of several notable books in Canadian legal history. A two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, he writes regularly for both Canada’s History and Law Times.

Rod Currie:
'This is a heavy volume – literally and figuratively – that is nonetheless leavened by tangy stories of legal history, charmingly eccentric characters and the experiences of women and minorities seeking to take a place in the esteemed profession.'

Honourable Mr. Justice Bryan F. Ralph:
`I began to read this book out of a sense that the Secretary of the Law Society of B.C. probably had a duty to do so. In fact, the book turned out to be a thoroughly absorbing read that contained valuable information, engaging anecdotes and an important perspective on the role of a significant part of the legal profession in Canada.'