This work investigates the social origins, professional training, and political integration of barristers in England between 1590 and 1640. Wilfrid R. Prest, a historian specializing in early modern legal institutions, utilizes biographical data from approximately 500 lawyers to construct a comprehensive profile of the legal profession. The text argues that the bar served as a critical nexus for social mobility and political influence during the transition from Elizabethan to early Stuart rule.

Historians and legal scholars recognize this text as a foundational study for understanding the professionalization of the English bar. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous archival research that supports the author's conclusions.