Valparaiso University School of Law - History

History

The school was originally named the Northern Indiana Law School and began operation on November 11, 1879. Tuition was set at $10 per term and the first term began with nine enrolled students. The school was one of the first in the nation to admit both men and women, and two women were among the original cohort. DeMotte became the school’s first dean and was one of the original three faculty members. During his appointment he developed the core curriculum that remains in use at Valparaiso today.

Despite difficult economic times and amidst a depression, the Northern Indiana Law School remained and experienced growth during its second decade. At the turn of the century, 21 years after its founding, the school had an enrollment of 170 students and was reportedly the largest law school in Indiana.

In 1905, the law school became part of Valparaiso University and was thus officially renamed the Valparaiso University School of Law. Following consultation and inspection with the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, the law school expanded its curriculum and received its ABA accreditation in 1929 and was admitted into AALS in 1930. It is the thirty-eighth oldest ABA accredited law school in the United States.