The Garret D. Wall Collection, dating from 1609-1909, consists primarily of material from the legal practice of Garret D. Wall (1783-1850). The bulk of the material dates from 1807 to 1850, when Wall was actively practicing law, serving in the United States Senate, and serving as judge of the Court of Appeals of New Jersey. Wall was educated by and worked for Jonathan Rhea, an attorney and, later, his father-in-law, which may explain why there are a number of records that precede the dates of Wall's own legal practice.

Researchers will find personal and professional correspondence; financial, land, legal, and legislative records relating to Wall's law practice; and materials of others, in particular, members of the Rhea family (related to Wall's wife Mary Rhea), the Vroom family (related to his daughter Mary Matilda Wall), and his son, James W. Wall. The bulk of the collection is correspondence, the vast majority of which appears to be professional in nature. Records relating to Wall's legal practice include financial records such as accounts, bills, receipts, bonds, indentures, insurance records, and promissory notes; land records such as deeds, mortgages, and surveys; and legal records such as articles of agreement, court records, estate settlements, government and legislative papers, letters of attorney, summons, and wills and inventories. Most of the documents in the second series do not directly relate to Garret D. Wall or his family; but instead were probably used for research by or generated by Wall in his practice of law. There are one or two documents (particularly in the court records) that appear to be related to criminal cases, but for the most part, Wall seems to have handled estate, land, and financial issues.

This group of material does not provide a particularly clear picture of Wall as a family man, military officer, or politician; although there are hints of these aspects throughout the collection. Instead, this collection provides a glimpse into law practices in New Jersey during the first half of the nineteenth century.