History
There’s history. And there’s our story. We invite you to explore both.
When institutions recount their history, they typically highlight landmark dates and standard-setting achievements. “60+ Moments in the History of Stanford Law School,” an exhibit in our Classroom Building, takes a less conventional approach, sharing the story of Stanford Law through a sampling of fact, anecdote, and recollection — famous, infamous, and almost forgotten.
For this unique project, we combed our archives and interviewed long-tenured faculty, staff and alumni for their input and insider knowledge. The result is more than a timeline from 1893 to the present; it’s a collection of stories — some well-known, some little-known — exploring Stanford Law’s origins, turning points, impact, innovations, history-makers, heroes, lore, and legend.
We are always making history. These are a few of the moments that define us.
To see this exhibit in person, please visit the 1st floor lobby of SLS Crown Quadrangle’s F.I.R. Hall (Classroom Building).
A Comprehensive History of Stanford Law
Stanford introduced its law curriculum in 1893, when the university engaged its first two law professors. One was Benjamin Harrison, former President of the United States, who delivered a landmark series of lectures on the Constitution. The other, Nathan Abbott, served as head of the nascent law program. Abbott assembled a small faculty to which he imparted a standard of rigor and excellence in the tradition of Stanford University. And so the story of SLS began.
Explore these portals onto SLS’s past to experience the people, the places, and the priorities that shaped Stanford Law’s first 125 years and that will inspire our next chapter.