At Northeastern University School of Law, innovation is our tradition. From its founding, the law school has committed itself to addressing the needs of students and society. Our mission is to fuse theory and practice with ethical and social justice ideals so that students understand what it is lawyers do, how they should do it and the difference they can make in the lives of others.

The original mission of the school – to provide Boston’s first evening law school program for students who could not attend full-time day classes – seems reasonable today, but it was a revolutionary moment when Professor Robert Gray Dodge delivered the school’s first lecture in Property on October 3, 1898. The notion that a law school not only could, but also should, respond to the needs of the local community was considered a maverick educational idea at the time and has continued to be a hallmark of the School of Law to this day.

Members of the School of Law's first graduating class in 1902.

Although the law school boasted an enrollment of more than 2,400 in the mid-1920s and anchored the formation of Northeastern University, a scarcity of resources forced the law school to close its doors in 1956. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, the school’s graduates worked diligently to ensure the future of their alma mater. Their efforts paid off.

In 1968-1969, the School of Law reopened and established cooperative legal education as the cornerstone of its program. This unique approach to educating lawyers recognizes the interdependency of theory and practice. Experiential learning through hands-on internships called "co-ops" ensures that Northeastern students benefit from practical experience in the legal workplace as well as academic excellence in the classroom.

Since the school reopened in 1968 course work has been evaluated in narrative form; there are no letter or number grades. Given a mature, highly motivated student body with excellent professional goals, intensive internal competition is, at best, unnecessary.

A distinguished faculty of theoreticians and practitioners introduce students to diverse areas of expertise and a broad range of experiences. A limited enrollment of approximately 175-200 students in each class encourages individual recognition and participation, and ensures access to faculty. The community as a whole is strengthened by a shared vision of the law as a force for social change and by a commitment to legal services on behalf of the public interest.

Celebrating 100 Years: Members of the School of Law's graduating class in 1998.

The re-established School of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1969 and admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1970. Since its reopening, the school has received wide recognition, both for the success of its innovative program and the leadership of its graduates. Today, graduates of the School of Law can be found teaching at distinguished law schools, sitting on local, state and federal benches, practicing as partners in prominent law firms and serving as directors of legal aid and public defender programs throughout the nation.