Blackstone's tower in context

This article contextualizes the contribution of Blackstone’s Tower within the discipline of law, arguing that its publication was both significant and radical at a time when research into legal education was much less well-developed within the legal academy than it is today. Twining’s approach, acting as a ‘tour guide’, was also important in a period when the ‘private life’ of the English university law school was virtually unexamined. This article also highlights the ways in which the other contributions to this special edition demonstrate the continuities and changes that have occurred within legal education since Blackstone’s Tower was published.