The Chancery Shelf
The student's entry into the old books: how to read a treatise as its author intended, and twenty-three rare works of equity open to anyone, free.
Receive the free guide →
Equity jurisprudence · taught from its sources
Learn equity.
Learn equity.
Understand what you sign.
Explore trusts, signatures, accounts and equitable remedies through live classes and the classic sources, grounded in Scripture. Begin with a free study guide, try a short quiz, or talk with us about a learning path that fits your circumstances.
Faith · Trust · Honor
Next public class · Live online
Before You Sign
Capacity, consent, and the legal effect of a signature.
A signature is not a formality; it is an act that binds the conscience. This two-hour class examines who has capacity to bind himself, what genuine consent requires, and why equity has always looked behind the signature to the consent beneath it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
6–8 PM Mountain / 8–10 PM Eastern · Live online
$35 minimum contribution — more if you are able.
The ministry in brief
Two wolves. One conscience.
Who we are, what we teach, and why the old books still matter.
Where to begin
Three doors into the house
The Ministry Library
Study cards and companions that state each doctrine, draw out the lesson it teaches, and mark the boundary a court will hold it to.
Enter the Library →Classes & Membership
Public online classes and learning paths through trusts, remedies and pleading. Contact us to discuss the materials, class access and contribution that fit your needs.
See the classes →Before you begin
Where are you reading from?
Our main lessons focus on the United States. Canada and the United Kingdom have dedicated study resources.
United States
This site is written for you. The Library, Lexicon, classes and the Gate all teach equity as American courts administer it.
Stay here and begin →Canada
Canada received English equity through its provinces. Its statutes and Supreme Court of Canada cases are on their own page.
Go to the Canada page →United Kingdom
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own system. Their law is on its own page.
Go to the UK page →Maxim of the Day
One question a day on the maxims of equity, with the reason behind every answer. Keep a streak going and learn the maxims the way the chancellors used them.
Your Class Vault
Members use the Class Vault for recordings and study activities included in their learning arrangement. Use the access code from your welcome email.
The maxims govern this house
A ministry of equity must itself deal equitably
The maxims are the fundamental principles of the whole system of equity. The ministry holds its own dealings to the standard it teaches.
He who seeks equity must do equity.
The one who asks must first give what is due. Every contribution and every condition is disclosed before anything is asked of you.
He who comes into equity must come with clean hands.
Conscience and good faith are the ground of every claim. The ministry promises no outcomes and asserts nothing it cannot show from the record.
Equity looks to the intent rather than the form.
Substance governs. The ministry's terms say in plain words what is meant, with nothing concealed in form or fine print.
Equality is equity.
Each student receives the materials and access agreed before enrollment. If a suggested contribution is beyond your budget, talk with us about the available options.
Equity aids the vigilant.
Delay defeats equities. Publications are delivered the moment you give, and any defective file is made good without delay.
Equity acts in personam.
Equity binds the conscience of the person. Each student answers for his or her own matter: the ministry teaches; you prepare, sign and stand behind your own papers.
The Ministry Library
Enter the Library →
Lay the foundation first
Free study guide
The Chancery Shelf
The answers were written down long ago. Learn where they were kept.
Free
Study cards
The Twelve Maxims of Equity
Every rule of equity has an edge. Know the edge before you lean on the rule.
$9 contribution
Study companion
The Federal Equity Rules of 1912
Equity moves in a fixed order. Know the order, and no step surprises you.
$19 contribution
Study set
Equity Student Starter Set
Principle and procedure, learned together, carry a claim from conscience to decree.
$24 contribution
The method
Understanding is earned by inquiry
The ministry does not hand down conclusions to be memorized. Every lesson points the way; the student who follows it finds the authority for himself, and keeps what he finds.
Ask
State the question exactly. A vague question finds only a vague answer.
Seek the principle
Find the maxim that governs it, and the doctrine that grew from that maxim.
Find the authority
Trace the principle to where it was established, and read it there for yourself.
Apply with clean hands
Know the limit before you rely on the rule, and act in good faith.
Questions
Answered plainly
Is this legal advice?
No. The ministry teaches the history and principles of equity jurisprudence; it does not represent anyone or advise on any particular matter, and no attorney–client relationship arises. Rules change with time and place, so confirm the law of your own jurisdiction before relying on any principle.
Why study the older sources?
The classic treatises set out equity's principles whole, before they were absorbed into modern procedure. Read alongside current law, they explain why today's remedies take the shape they do.
How are publications delivered?
At once. Your link appears on the confirmation page and arrives by email with your receipt. A file that fails to open is replaced promptly.
Are contributions refundable?
Contributions for publications and classes are final, because what they support is delivered in full at once. The complete terms are on the Contributions & Terms page.
Must I be a member?
No. Begin with the free guide or a public class. For ongoing study, talk with us about the available membership options and contributions.
Will the ministry prepare my papers?
No. Equity acts upon the person, and each student answers for his or her own matter. The ministry teaches the doctrine and supplies forms for study; you prepare and sign your own instruments.
Free
Receive the Chancery Shelf
A free 11-page guide to reading the classic sources, with access to twenty-three rare works. The store provides your PDF link after its free checkout.