The Joseph Vining papers contain 59 linear feet and 3.71 GB of personal and family papers, correspondence, writings, and topical files materials illustrating Vining's personal life, legal career, and scholarly work. The collection is divided into four series.
The Personal and Family Papers series features Vining's personal diaries and poetry written by Vining.
The Correspondence series contains correspondence organized by topic, year, and correspondent that focuses on Vining's legal career, scholarship, and leadership at the University of Michigan Law School.
The Speeches and Writings series includes recordings, transcripts, notes, and correspondence from speeches and presentations delivered by Vining. The series also contains correspondence, records, and notes from Vining's published and unpublished scholarly writings.
The Topical Files series contains materials about Vining's early legal career in Washington, D.C., his membership in various professional associations, and his scholarly work.
George Joseph Vining, known as Joseph Vining, was born in Fulton, Missouri in 1938. He was named after his grandfather, George Joseph Vining, a 19th century English immigrant who settled in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Vining graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Zoology in 1949 and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1964 where he served on the Harvard Law Review. He also studied at Cambridge University in England, receiving a B.A in 1961 and an M.A. in History in 1970. Vining began his legal career working with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. in 1964-1965. Vining also served on the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice in 1966. He then worked as an Associate at the Covington and Burling law firm from 1966 to 1969.
In 1969, Vining joined the faculty of the University of Michigan Law School as an Assistant Professor. He received the title of Harry Burns Hutchins Professor of Law in 1985. Over the course of his career, Vining authored six books as well as numerous book chapters, journal articles, and essays. He explored a variety of subjects including animal law, legal philosophy, legal authority, and the relationship between humanity, law, and science.
In recognition of his contributions to scholarship and the field of law, Vining was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996. He also served as a senior fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1982-1983 and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellegio Fellow in 1997. In June 2002, Vining served as the Sir Edward Youde Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and was granted a number of other honorary appointments and lectureships. The University of Michigan Law School named Vining the Harry Burns Hutchins Emeritus Professor of Law upon his retirement in 2009.
