WIST Quotations

Cicero, Marcus Tullius -- De Legibus [On the Laws], Book 1, ch. 5 (1.6) / sec. 18 [Marcus] (c. 51 BC) [tr. Zetzel (1999)]

Dave — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 01:08:49 +0000

In fact ignorance of law leads to more lawsuits than knowledge of it.

[Potius ignoratio iuris litigiosa est quam scientia.]

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
De Legibus [On the Laws], Book 1, ch. 5 (1.6) / sec. 18 [Marcus] (c. 51 BC) [tr. Zetzel (1999)]
(Source)

(Source (Latin)). Alternate translations:

It is not so much the science of law that produces litigation, as the ignorance of it.
[tr. Barham (1842), Barham/Yonge (1878)]

The litigious spirit is more often found with ignorance than with knowledge of law.
[ed. Harbottle (1906)]

For it is rather ignorance of the law than knowledge of it that leads to litigation.
[tr. Keyes (1928)]

Ignorance rather than knowledge of the law leads to litigation.
[tr. Rudd (1998)]

Herbert, George -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:31:49 +0000

A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.

George Herbert (1593-1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
(Attributed)

Attributed to Herbert, but not found in his works. Bohn identifies this as proverbs in three Germanic languages:

Ein magerer Bergleich ist besser den ein setter Process. (German)
Een mager verdrag is betger dan een vet proces. (Dutch)
Bedre er et magert Forliig, end en fed Traette. (Danish)

Lincoln, Abraham -- Speech (1850), Notes for a Law Lecture (fragment)

Dave — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 14:27:07 +0000

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser — in fees, expenses, and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1850), Notes for a Law Lecture (fragment)
(Source)

No lecture of the sort given by Lincoln has been recorded. The date was assigned by Niclay and Hay, with nothing concrete to contradict it. The lecture notes might well have been written several years later.