1790
1850
1868
1874
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1895
1896
1914
1929
1941
1945
1948
1952
1970
1975
1979
1982
1989
1999
2000
James
Wilson
begins law lectures at the College of Philadelphia Academy Building on Arch
and 4th Streets
The
University of Pennsylvania
establishes a law department in a building at 9th and Chestnut
Streets
George Sharswood (1810-1883)
is named the first professor of law
1852 - George
Sharswood Named First Dean
|
University Trustees establish
a Faculty of Law
|
LL.B. degree awarded to 30 students
American Law Register (as of the 1908 Law Review) if first
published. After the Legal Intelligencer, Philadelphia's daily legal newspaper,
it is the oldest continuously published legal periodical in the nation.
Elihu
Spencer Miller
(1817-1879)
is named Dean
E. Coppee Mitchell C'1885
(1836-1886)
is named Dean |
| The faculty is expanded to five positions |
| First daytime classes are scheduled |
1878
American Bar Association is founded
1881
Sharswood Law Club is formed to conduct Moot Courts
as an exercise to learn courtroom skills.
By 1902 seven law clubs are active, in 1997 Sharswood is the last club to
disband.
Carrie Burnham Kilgore
L'1883 (1838-1909) is the first woman admitted to Penn Law
C.S.Patterson C'1860
(1842-1924)
is named Dean |
| Aaron
Albert Mossell is the first
black man to graduate from Penn Law |
| Admissions Standards are established |
Professor Algernon S. Biddle introduces the case method
at Penn Law
Degree program expands to three years. |
1887
George Tucker Bispham
C'1858, L'1861
(1838-1906)
is named Dean |
| The George Biddle Memorial Library
is established with an estate gift and a bequest of 5,087 volumes from
the brother of Professor Algernon Sidney Biddle. |
| The Biddle family makes continuous donations to the
collection for years to come |
1891
| Law Alumni Society is established |
| 1894 |
| Biddle Professorship is the first endowed chair established
at Penn Law, and the only one until 1930 |
| G. S. Harrison is named Interim Dean of Penn Law |
1897
1897
| William Ephraim Mikell is hired as the first full-time
professor |
| Classes are held in Congress Hall in downtown
Philadelphia |
| Development Campaign begins to raise $373,500 for the
puchase of land in West Philadelphia and the construction of the Law School
Building. Major benefactors include Thomas McKean, the Price Family, and
Mrs. George W. Biddle |
| William Draper Lewis (1867-1949 is named Dean |
1898
| Margaret Center Klingelsmith
L'1898 (1859-1931) begins 34 year career as head
llibrarian of Biddle Library |
| LL.M. degree is first offered |
| Cope & Stewardson Architects begin construction
of the Law School Building |
| |
| 1900 |
| The Law School Building is dedicated
and feted in ceremonies over two days in February. Attendees include U.S.
Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, representatives from Cambridge
and Oxford, and China's Ambassador to the United States |
| AALS is founded |
| 1901 |
| The John Marshall Law Club for
women is started with three members |
| Herbert Funk Goodrich (1889-1962) is named Dean |
1909
| The Law Department is renamed and structured as
the Law School |
| William Ephraim Mikell is named Dean |
| 1916 |
| U.S. enters World War I. Of 309 students that join the
military, 25 are killed and 13 are wounded |
| 1918 |
| U.S. Navel personnel commandeer rooms of the Law School
Building for study, training, and physical education of military |
| 1919 |
| Law School graduates 13 students |
1923
| William Draper Lewis is the major force behind the establishment
of the American Law Institute. He is named its first director and it is
located at Penn Law |
1927
| Sadie
Turner Mossell (Alexander)
is the first black woman to graduate from Penn Law School. |
| Edwin R. Keedy (1880-1958) is named Dean |
| Earl G. Harrision C'20, L'23 (1899-1955) is named Dean
from Truman Administration |
| Owen J. Roberts C'1895, L'1898 (1875-1955) retires from
the Supreme Court and is named Dean |
Faculty Additions
Louis B. Schwartz W'32, L'35 (1948)
Noyes Leech C'43, L'48 (1950)
A. Leo Levin (1950) |
| Jefferson Barnes Fordham (1905-1997) is named Dean |
Faculty Additions
Clarence Morris (1953)
Caleb Foote (1953)
Covey T. Oliver (1953)
Curtis Reitz C'51, L'56 (1957)
Howard Lesnick (1960)
Anthony G. Amsterdam L'60 (1962)
Bernard Wolfman C'46, L'48
James O. Freedman (1964)
Robert A. Gorman (1965)
Robert H. Mundheim (1965) |
| 1955 |
| Law School undertakes $2.5 million fundraising campaign
for facilities |
| 1957 |
| A. Leo Levin intrduces the course Trail of an Issue
of Fact and holds class seminars at his home |
| 1958 |
| Roberts and Pepper dormitories and Stern dining hall
open. They are demolished in 1992 to make room for Tanenbaum Hall. |
| 1963 |
| The new wings of Roberts and Pepper
Halls are opened on the site of the former tennis courts. Attendees at
opening include U.S. Supreme Court Cheif Justice Earl Warren & Associate
Justices William J. Brennan, Jr. & John Marshall Harlan. |
| 1968 |
| Twelve of 26 faculty members,
along with 137 students, sign an anti-war statement circulating throughout
American law schools. Student activists write "Proposal for Change"
advocating for reforms in faculty teaching methods and curriculum. In
response, the Law School opens facutly meetings in 1969 to include two
student representatives, and in 1972 gives them voting power. |
| JD/M.C.P. degree is first offered. |
| 1969 |
Martha Aluschuler Field
is the first woman to join the faculty
|
| Robert A. Gorman conducts research
and a survey the results in a massive curriculum reform proposal. |
| Edward V. Sparer joins the faculty and stats the Health
Law Project |
| Bernard Wolfman (1924- ) is named Dean |
1974
| Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. joins the adjunct
faculty and introduces his course Race, Racism, and American Law |
Lewis H. Pollak (1922 - )
is named Dean |
1975
| Nancy Bregstein L'76 is named the first woman editor-in-chief
of the Law Review |
| Ralph Smith
is the first black man to join the faculty |
James O. Freedman
(1935 - ) is named Dean |
Faculty Additions
Stephen Burbank (1979)
Seth Kreimer (1979) |
| Robert H. Mundheim (1933 - ) is named Dean |
Faculty Additions
C. Edwin Baker (1982)
Michael Wachter (1982)
Michael A. Fitts (1985)
Friedrich Kubler (1985)
Charles W. Mooney, Jr. (1986)
Bruce Mann (1987) |
Charles W. Mooney, Jr.
(1947 - ) is named interim Dean |
Colin S. Diver (1943 - )
is named Dean |
| 70 hour mandatory public service requirement is established |
|
University of Pennsylvania undertakes
a $1 billion capital campaign. The Law School surpasses its $45 million
goal by forty percent
|
1993
| Nicole E. Tanenbaum Hall is dedicated and opened. Funded
with a gift from Myles Tanenbaum W'52, L'57 the building houses the Biddle
Law Library, student journal offices, seminar and class rooms, and a cafeteria.
|
1993
1995
| Howard Gittis W'55, L'58 funds the renovaton of
the first floor of Lewis Hall to provide professional offices for the
Clinical Program |
1998
| Institute for Law and Philosophy is established |
| Henry Silverman L'64 makes a gift of $15 million, at
the time the largest outright gift ever to an American law school. The
gift funds renovations to Lewis Hall and provides for a professorship,
legal research, and scholarships. |
| Michael A. Fitts is named Dean |
2000
| Lewis Hall is rededicated after a two year period
of renovation |
| The Levy Conference Center, funded by Paul (L'72)
and Karen Levy, is opened in the former Sharswood Hall. It offers a multi-media
conference and meeting facility. |
Faculty Additions
Michael S. Knoll
Catherine T. Struve
R. Polk Wagner |
