Howard University School of Law

Howard University School of Law
Motto Veritas et Utilitas
Established 1869
School type Private[1]
Dean Kurt L. Schmoke
Location Washington, D.C., USA
Enrollment 451[2]
Faculty 65[3]
USNWR ranking Tier 3[4]
Bar pass rate 71%[5]
Annual tuition $23,370[4]
Website www.law.howard.edu
ABA profile Howard University School of Law Profile

Howard University School of Law (also known as Howard Law or HUSL) is one of the professional graduate schools of Howard University. Located in Washington, D.C., it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school in the United States.[6] Today, Howard University School of Law confers an average of 185 Juris Doctorate and Master of Law degrees annually to students from the United States and countries in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.[7] Howard University School of Law is fully approved by the American Bar Association, and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.[8]

Contents

History

Howard University School of Law started as Howard University Law Department on January 6, 1869, under the leadership of Professor John Mercer Langston. At the time, there was a great need to train lawyers who would have a strong commitment to helping black Americans secure and protect their newly established rights.

In those days, the law school did not have classrooms. The students met at night in the homes and offices of the faculty, all of whom were part-time. In the 20th century, it became not only a school, but also the embodiment of legal activism. It emerged as a "clinic" on justice and injustice in America, as well as a clearinghouse for information on the civil rights struggle.[7]

Thurgood Marshall wanted to apply to his hometown law school, the University of Maryland School of Law, but was told that he would not be accepted due to the school's segregation policy. Marshall enrolled at Howard University's law school instead. There he studied under Charles Hamilton Houston, a Harvard Law School graduate and leading civil rights lawyer who at the time was the dean of Howard's law school. Houston took Marshall under his wing, and the two forged a friendship that would last for the remainder of Houston's life. Howard University was the site where Marshall and his team of legal scholars from around the nation prepared to argue the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.[9]

Objectives

The objective of the School of Law is to produce superior professionals, capable of achieving positions of leadership in law, business, government, education, and public service. Most importantly, Howard University School of Law is dedicated to producing social engineers.[7]

Degrees Offered

Howard University School of Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.), and the Master of Laws (L.L.M). Additionally, students can enroll in the J.D./M.B.A. dual degree program with the Howard University School of Business.[10]

Campus

The campus is located in the upper Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., in the Forest Hills area of the city. The law school is located on its own 22-acre (89,000 m2) campus approximately five miles from the main campus.[11]

Notable alumni

Howard University School of Law is one of the oldest law programs in the country. Established in 1869, the school has produced national leaders in politics, business, and in the legal profession. Among its distinguished graduates are Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder; former Washington, D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly; and former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.[12]

References

  1. ^ “Howard University School of Law,” Entrepreneur.com (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  2. ^ “Best Graduate Schools: Howard University School of Law,” U.S. News & World Report. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ a b http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/items/03033
  5. ^ http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gzQ0u_YHMPIwP_gABTA09npxDXgKAAY1NzU6B8JLJ8oLGLgadBsJ-vsZmpj7GPIQHd4SD7cKoI8DJGl8c0HyRvgAM4Guj7eeTnpuoX5EYYZAakKwIAUnN8Yw!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfNjE5TlM3SDIwT1BQNTBJQ0JURVBSUDNMMDc!/?programid=1603&programtype=2954
  6. ^ United States Cong. House. Recognizing and honoring Howard University School of Law's 140-year legacy of social justice. Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, 111 Cong., 1 sess. HR Res. 684. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  7. ^ a b c “History,” Howard University School of Law. Howard University. 2006. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  8. ^ “ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year,” Section of Legal Education & Admissions to the Bar. American Bar Association. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  9. ^ "Career of Thurgood Marshall.". http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/hill/marshall.htm. 
  10. ^ “Academic Programs and Institutes,” Howard University School of Law. Howard University, 2006. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  11. ^ “Our Campus,” Howard University School of Law. Howard University, 2006. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)
  12. ^ “Morgan Lewis Donates $65,000 to Howard University School of Law,” Press Release. Morgan Lewis, September 13, 2005. (Retrieved 2009-10-27.)

External links