ThemembersofthelegalprofessionhavetakenanimportantpartinallthevicissitudesofpoliticalsocietyinEuropeduringthelastfivehundredyears。Atonetimetheyhavebeentheinstrumentsofthosewhowereinvestedwithpoliticalauthority，andatanothertheyhavesucceededinconvertingpoliticalauthoritiesintotheirinstrument。IntheMiddleAgestheyaffordedapowerfulsupporttotheCrown，andsincethatperiodtheyhaveexertedthemselvestotheutmosttolimittheroyalprerogative。InEnglandtheyhavecontractedaclosealliancewiththearistocracy;inFrancetheyhaveprovedtobethemostdangerousenemiesofthatclass。Itismyobjecttoinquirewhether，underallthesecircumstances，themembersofthelegalprofessionhavebeenswayedbysuddenandmomentaryimpulses;orwhethertheyhavebeenimpelledbyprincipleswhichareinherentintheirpursuits，andwhichwillalwaysrecurinhistory。Iamincitedtothisinvestigationbyreflectingthatthisparticularclassofmenwillmostlikelyplayaprominentpartinthatorderofthingstowhichtheeventsofourtimearegivingbirth。
Menwhohavemoreespeciallydevotedthemselvestolegalpursuitsderivefromthoseoccupationscertainhabitsoforder，atasteforformalities，andakindofinstinctiveregardfortheregularconnectionofideas，whichnaturallyrenderthemveryhostiletotherevolutionaryspiritandtheunreflectingpassionsofthemultitude。
Thespecialinformationwhichlawyersderivefromtheirstudiesensuresthemaseparatestationinsociety，andtheyconstituteasortofprivilegedbodyinthescaleofintelligence。Thisnotionoftheirsuperiorityperpetuallyrecurstotheminthepracticeoftheirprofession:theyarethemastersofasciencewhichisnecessary，butwhichisnotverygenerallyknown;theyserveasarbitersbetweenthecitizens;andthehabitofdirectingtheblindpassionsofpartiesinlitigationtotheirpurposeinspiresthemwithacertaincontemptforthejudgmentofthemultitude。Tothisitmaybeaddedthattheynaturallyconstituteabody，notbyanypreviousunderstanding，orbyanagreementwhichdirectsthemtoacommonend;buttheanalogyoftheirstudiesandtheuniformityoftheirproceedingsconnecttheirmindstogether，asmuchasacommoninterestcouldcombinetheirendeavors。
Aportionofthetastesandofthehabitsofthearistocracymayconsequentlybediscoveredinthecharactersofmenintheprofessionofthelaw。Theyparticipateinthesameinstinctiveloveoforderandofformalities;andtheyentertainthesamerepugnancetotheactionsofthemultitude，andthesamesecretcontemptofthegovernmentofthepeople。Idonotmeantosaythatthenaturalpropensitiesoflawyersaresufficientlystrongtoswaythemirresistibly;forthey，likemostothermen，aregovernedbytheirprivateinterestsandtheadvantagesofthemoment。
Inastateofsocietyinwhichthemembersofthelegalprofessionarepreventedfromholdingthatrankinthepoliticalworldwhichtheyenjoyinprivatelife，wemayrestassuredthattheywillbetheforemostagentsofrevolution。Butitmustthenbeinquiredwhetherthecausewhichinducesthemtoinnovateandtodestroyisaccidental，orwhetheritbelongstosomelastingpurposewhichtheyentertain。ItistruethatlawyersmainlycontributedtotheoverthrowoftheFrenchmonarchyin1789;butitremainstobeseenwhethertheyactedthusbecausetheyhadstudiedthelaws，orbecausetheywereprohibitedfromco—operatingintheworkoflegislation。