Table of Contents
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Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids
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Collection Overview
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| Creator: |
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law. |
| Title: | School of Law records |
| Dates: | 1960-2001 |
| Call Number: | A44 |
| Location: | 29/4 |
| Volume: | 9.00 cubic ft. (9 boxes) |
| Scope and Content Abstract: | The School of Law records document the administrative and educational activities of the School of Law from 1960 to 2001. The Office of the Dean series includes records relating to the accreditation by the American Bar Association, as well as to the Academic Committee, Advisory Council, Black American Law Student Association, and dean searches in 1984 and 1993. Of special interest are reports documenting the Law School after it reopened and the Domestic Violence Institute. The Development series contains records of the Law School Alumni Association, the fund-raising campaigns for Cargill and Gryzmish halls, and the 1980 and 1992 capital campaigns. Records from the Placement and Career Services Office document efforts to help students and graduates find internships and employment. Incomplete runs of a number of School of Law publications are found also in this collection, including "The Collective," "ME," and the "NUSL Newsletter."Researchers should note that there is some chronological overlap between this collection and the School of Law records (A6), 1900-1996. |
| Historical Abstract: | The Northeastern University School of Law is recognized for training attorneys to practice law in the public sector. Founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in 1898 as a series of evening courses, it was the first evening law program in Boston. In 1904, the program was incorporated as the Evening School of Law of the Boston YMCA with the power to grant the Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree. Its primary goal was to prepare students for the Massachusetts Bar Examination. Because of increasing enrollment, divisional campuses were established in Worcester and Springfield in 1917 and in Providence in 1920. In 1922 it was renamed the Northeastern University School of Law; in the same year women were admitted for the first time. In 1938 it began to offer day courses. In the early 1950s the School of Law faced financial hardship and declining enrollment, and closed in 1953. With the urging of Northeastern University's Law Alumni Association, it reopened on May 13, 1966, becoming the first law school in the country to operate on the cooperative education model.
In contrast to its predecessor, the new School of Law began as a four-year, day-time graduate program that awarded the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. The School's transition from the Bachelor of Law LLB degree to the Juris Doctor (JD) degree reflected the changes in the level of education required to practice law. In 1970, the School of Law's program was reduced to three years and two summer quarters with rotating cooperative educational studies. In 1971, the School received full accreditation from the American Bar Association. |
| Arrangement: | Organized into 6 series: 1. Office of the Dean; 2. Development; 3. Admissions; 4. Cooperative Education; 5. Placement and Career Services; and 6. Publications. |
| Subjects and Contributors: |
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law.--Alumni and alumnae.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law.--Admissions.
- Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law.--Building.
- Career development--Massachusetts--Boston.
- College publications--Massachusetts--Boston.
- College student newspapers and periodicals.
- Educational fund raising.
- Law schools--Massachusetts--Boston.
- Public interest law--Study and teaching (Higher)--Massachusetts.
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| Restrictions: | Records are closed for 25 years from their date of creation, unless researchers have written permission from the creating office. Personnel records (box 2, folders 7, 16) and student records (box 4, folders 9-10) are closed for 75 years from their date of creation. |
| Related Materials: |
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). School of Law records (A6).
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| Processor: | Finding aid prepared by Jennifer Faux, Gabriel Daniels,
December 2000, April 2001 |
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