Early colonies actively banned paid lawyers

Evidence

The early years in colonial America were not friendly years for lawyers. There were few lawyers among the settlers. In some colonies, lawyers were distinctly unwelcome. In Massachusetts Bay, the Body of Liberties (1641) prohibited pleading for hire. The “attorneys” in the early Virginia records were not trained lawyers, but attorneys-​in-​fact, laymen helping out their friends in court. In 1645, Virginia excluded lawyers from the courts; there had been a ban in Connecticut, too. The Fundamental Constitutions of the Carolinas (1669) were also hostile; it was considered “a base and vile thing to plead for money or reward.” — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 507

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Colonial elite lawyers resented amateur competitors for fees and status — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 551; Colonial bar admission was fragmented and colony-specific before 1776 — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 537

Broader Connections

• Colonial elite lawyers resented amateur competitors for fees and status #complicates (0.82) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 551
• Colonial bar admission was fragmented and colony-specific before 1776 #expands (0.72) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 537