James Kent (1763-1847) was a lawyer, legislator, and professor known for his Commentaries on American Law. Raised in New York, Kent studied law as a young man and opened a practice in Poughkeepsie. He was soon elected as a representative to the New York State Assembly. After his term, he moved to New York City to teach law. Though he later served again in the State Assembly, the peak of his legal career was his time serving on the New York Supreme Court and Court of Chancery. Upon retiring, Kent returned to teaching and wrote his Commentaries on American Law. This work helped to organize and clarify the principles of American common law, which until then had been largely scattered across several bodies of legal precedent. The work quickly became one of America’s most widely read legal commentaries.