law-writer

{{Short description|Copyiers of legal documents before mechanical copiers}}

{{Distinguish|Lawmaker}} {{Distinguish|Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet}}

A Law-writer (or Law writer) is an obsolete term for a tradesman who made hand written fair copies of legal documents before the advent of mechanical typewriters and document copiers. They qualified for the trade by being apprenticed to a master for a period. They were usually employed by law-stationers or offered their services by putting up notices at law courts. The occupation survived to the early twentieth century.

Charles Dickens describes the activities of law-writers and law-stationers in his novel Bleak House drawing on his acquaintance with actual practitioners.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NBpn7dFDUtcC&q=law+writer+occupation&pg=PA465 |title = Dickensiana|year = 1899}}