Henry Curtis Lind
Henry Curtis Lind was a prominent American legal figure who had a significant impact on legal publishing and the reporting of Supreme Court decisions. A 1943 graduate of Princeton University, he pursued law studies at Harvard University after serving in the military during World War II. Lind practiced law in Rhode Island from 1949 to 1957 before joining the Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company in Rochester, New York, where he held key editorial positions for various legal publications.
In 1971, after being admitted to the Supreme Court bar, Lind became the assistant reporter of decisions for the Supreme Court, a role he held until 1979 when he was appointed the reporter of decisions. This important position involved overseeing the publication of the official United States Reports, which compiles Supreme Court cases. After retiring in 1987, Lind remained active in the legal community as a consultant and played a crucial role in founding the Association of Reporters of Judicial Decisions. His contributions to legal reporting and publishing have positioned him as a respected figure in the field.
Subject Terms
Henry Curtis Lind
Significance: Through his lifetime of service in the legal profession, and specifically as reporter of decisions of the Supreme Court, Lind established himself as one of the standard bearers of efforts to improve and advance law reporting
A 1943 graduate of Princeton University, Lind studied law at Harvard University following his return from military service during World War II. After practicing law in Rhode Island from 1949 to 1957, Lind was employed by the Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company located in Rochester, New York. During his tenure with the publishing company, he held a variety of positions including assistant managing editor of United States Supreme Court, Lawyers’ Edition and managing editor of the Federal Department, which produced such publications as the United States Supreme Court Digest, Lawyers’ Edition, American Law Reports Federal, and the United States Code Service.
Following admission to the Supreme Court bar in 1971, Lind was appointed assistant reporter of decisions of the Supreme Court. He served in that capacity from 1973 to 1979 when he assumed the position of reporter of decisions, which among its many responsibilities included publication of the official United States Reports. Lind retired in 1987 but continued to serve as a consultant and to be an active member of the Association of Reporters of Judicial Decisions, an organization he founded.