The Inns of Court have been around for over 800 years, and they're still a bit of a mystery.
Since their inception in the Middle Ages, they have been devoted to the technical study of English law, rather than Roman law, which was taught in universities. Previously, the law was learned in the course of service—the first rudiments possibly in private clerkship to some official. By the mid-13th century when common law had become extensive and intricate there arose a class of men literate but lay who created and dominated the legal profession and set up Inns.
And while they might not be very well-known outside of England, they've actually been responsible for educating some of the most famous legal minds in history—including Oliver Cromwell and William Blackstone!
You can tell how important these institutions are to English culture just by how seriously everyone takes them: until recently, you weren't considered a "real lawyer" unless you'd been called to the bar at one of these four Inns.
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