Kent, James (1763-1847), was an American legal authority. As chancellor of the New York Court of Chancery, he increased the court’s influence and adapted English equity law to cases tried before him (see Equity ). His Commentaries on American Law (1826-1830) had great influence on American legal practice.
Kent was born on July 31, 1763, in Fredericksburgh, New York. In 1793, he became a professor of law at Columbia College (now part of Columbia University). He became chief justice of the Supreme Court of New York in 1804 and served as chancellor of the New York Court of Chancery from 1814 to 1823. He died on Dec. 12, 1847.
