The Faculty and Its Curriculum

In the 1939-40 academic year the Law School conducted its program with a standing faculty of twelve members, supplemented by six teaching associates; 363 candidates for the bachelor of laws degree enrolled in the fall of that year, with the first-year class of 136 divided into two sections. The stated aim of the curriculum was "to guide students in acquiring a practical and historical knowledge of American and English common law, American constitutional law and certain fields of statutory law, and to develop in them the ability, judgment and technique to use this knowledge in the solution of legal problems."

Goodrich had transformed the faculty, as only Keedy, Mikell, and Reeve remained from just ten years earlier. Amram, Dickinson, and Philbrick had arrived with Goodrich in 1929 and Frey a year later. Goodrich recruited Chadbourn in 1936 and a year later, the trio of Bruton, Eldredge, and Mulder. Lewis's goal of a faculty that gave its full time to the profession of legal education was realized in the 1930s. By 1939-40, 10 of its 12 members gave their full time to the Law School.

The bulk of the School's teaching load in that year was carried by six members of the faculty -Professors Eldredge, Frey, Keedy, and Reeve; Associate Professor Bruton; and Assistant Professor Mulder- each of whom taught a minimum of six hours per week. Six others -Dean Goodrich; Professors Dickinson, Mikell, and Philbrick; Assistant Professor Chadbourn; and Associate of Law Amram -taught from three to five hours per week.

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