Until the late 19th century, law schools were uncommon in the United States. Most people entered the legal profession through reading law, a form of independent study or apprenticeship, often under the supervision of an experienced attorney. This practice usually consisted of reading classic legal texts, such as Edward Coke's Institutes of the Lawes of England and William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England.
In colonial America, as in Britain at the time, law schools did not exist. Within a few years following the American Revolution, some universities such as the College of William and Mary and the University of Pennsylvania established a "Chair in Law". Columbia College appointed its first Professor of Law, James Kent, in 1793. Those who held these positions were the sole purveyors of legal education (per se) for their institutions—though law was, of course, discussed in other academic areas as a matter of course—and gave lectures designed to supplement, rather than replace, an apprenticeship.
The first institution established for the sole purpose of teaching law was the Litchfield Law School, set up by Judge Tapping Reeve in 1784 to organize the large number of would-be apprentices or lecture attendees that he attracted. Despite the success of that institution, and of similar programs set up thereafter at Harvard University, Yale University (1843) and Columbia University (1858), law school attendance would remain a rare exception in the profession. Apprenticeship would be the norm until the 1890s, when the American Bar Association (which had been formed in 1878) began pressing states to limit admission to the bar to those who had satisfactorily completed several years of post-graduate instruction. In 1906, the Association of American Law Schools adopted a requirement that law school consist of a three year course of study
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Columbus School of Law
The School of Law at The Catholic University of America is committed to excellence in legal education within the profound intellectual tradition of the Church. Giving priority to the sacred dignity and uniqueness of each human person, the law school program is a standing invitation for men and women to pursue a professional calling fully informed by faith, moral inquiry and respect for the rule of law. The rigorous course of study embodies, in the words of the university's first rector, "the harmony between reason and revelation . . . [and] the genius of America."
Founded by Pope Leo XIII in the late 19th Century, The Catholic University of America maintains a singular charter and standing both within the Church in America and around the world. Welcoming students and faculty of all faiths ever since its inception in 1897, the School of Law understands legal training as a form of servant-leadership enabling lawyers to take up the burdens of others and make possible a civil and peaceful life in accord with God's creative design. Often referenced as the Columbus School of Law because of its alliance with an early program of legal education supported by the Knights of Columbus, the 1.6 million "strong right arm" of the lay Church, the Columbus School of Law has been accredited by the Association of American Law Schools since 1921 and the American Bar Association since 1925.*
The CUA law faculty are well-recognized for their teaching and scholarly distinction throughout a comprehensive and well-structured curriculum. The law school takes full advantage of its strategic location just minutes from the Congress and the Supreme Court by enlivening required study with presentations by national and international decision-makers, either as adjunct faculty or distinguished lecturers. The highly regarded Institutes in Law and Religion as well as Law and Public Policy introduce students to the jurisprudential sources and legislative, administrative and empirical methods necessary to make law both just and effective. Another Institute dealing with Comparative and International Law prepares law students for global legal work and is attractively augmented by a sought-after summer program. Conducted at The 14th Century Jagiellonian University, one of Europe's most prestigious universities, CUA students study, not as insulated sightseers, but collaboratively with their international peers. And long before other law schools incorporated a few classes discussing the Internet and advanced technology, CUA's Communications Law Institute has been inviting talented students to address the multi-faceted legal problems of new and established forms of media in courses and integrated fieldwork with the FCC, Congress and the telecommunications industry, itself.
Guided by the Church's preferential option for the poor and believing that the measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, the Columbus School of Law is the acknowledged pioneer in clinical legal instruction in Washington, D.C. The school's Columbus Community Legal Services translates faith into action by meeting the needs of the elderly, the oppressed, and the least advantaged with compassion and dedication.
The Columbus School of Law occupies a state-of-the-art facility completed in 1994 and situated amidst the university's venerable stone structures and spacious tree-lined quadrangles. The 170,000 square foot law building with ample library, classroom, student activity, and office space is built around a magnificent atrium. Our alumni are privileged to serve in both high elective and appointed office and as principals in law firms and businesses across the nation. In the profession, the families they nourish, and the communities they build or sustain, they are the living testament to CUA's commitment to excellence shaped by faith.
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School combines inspired teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a close-knit and collegial intellectual community. Hallmarks include:
A faculty that excels not only in scholarly productivity, but also in teaching ability
An approach to legal education that encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary study
A global emphasis, including educational partnerships around the world
A part of Cornell University, one of the world’s great research universities
Graduates who are connected and make a difference
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