Frank Shepard
Frank Shepard | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1848 Chicago |
| Died | 1900 |
| Occupation(s) | Salesman, legal publisher |
| Years active | 1875–1900 |
| Known for | Creation of Shepard's legal citation system |
Frank Shepard (circa 1848–1900) was a salesman based in Chicago who worked for a legal publishing company and is credited with creating the widely adopted Shepard's legal citation system.
Creation of the citation method
In September 1875, Shepard launched his own business, as noted in the Chicago Legal News:
The New York firm James Cockroft and Co., formerly operating in this city, has established a branch at No. 8 Honore Block, overseen by Frank Shepard, recognized by the legal community for his previous roles with E.B. Myers and Mr. Cockroft. Frank is capable and courteous, and we anticipate success for his enterprise.
That same year marked the release of his inaugural citation publication, Illinois Citations. Although often attributed to 1873, documentation indicates 1875 as the accurate inception date. Shepard appears to have utilized George R. Wendling’s citation index from E.B. Myers & Co., his former employer. He expressed intentions to develop similar citation volumes covering every state.
Shepard introduced an innovative approach by producing adhesive labels for cases that listed subsequent citing decisions, employing single-letter codes to denote whether a citing case had overruled, criticized, or applied the original decision. These “Adhesive Annotations” quickly became favored among attorneys for streamlining their work. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., later a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and then serving on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, commended Shepard’s annotations as an indispensable tool for reducing labor. The widespread adoption of this system gave rise to the phrase “to Shepardize.”
The Frank Shepard Company
Expanding beyond adhesive labels, the Frank Shepard Company developed bound volumes cataloging citing cases along with treatment codes, significantly improving legal research processes and securing a lasting role in the field of legal publishing.
Biographical details
In addition to his annotation business, Shepard generated income through other ventures. An 1889 advertisement for "Frank Shepard, Law Book Seller and Publisher, 184 Dearborn St., Chicago," highlighted offerings such as the American and English Encyclopedia of Law as well as gold leaf book labels, collection registers, legal file covers, reference book stands, legal blank cases, and steel portraits of prominent lawyers—without referencing his annotation products.
Shepard passed away in 1900 at the age of 52 due to apoplexy.
See also
References
Further reading
- "Mastering The Lawless Science Of Our Law: A Story Of Legal Citation Indexes." Patti Ogden, Law Library Journal Winter 1993 (85 Law Libr. J. 1)