Howard University School of Law

Howard University School of Law
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Name	Howard University School of Law
Established	1869
Type	Private law school
Parent	Howard University
Dean	Danielle Holley-Walker
City	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Website	https://law.howard.edu/

Howard University School of Law

The Howard University School of Law is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black university in Washington, D.C.. Founded in the aftermath of the American Civil War, it has been a preeminent institution for the education of African-American lawyers and a central intellectual engine for the Civil Rights Movement. The school is renowned for producing a significant number of the nation's Black lawyers and judges, who have shaped American jurisprudence and public policy.

History and Founding

Howard University School of Law was founded in 1869 by John Mercer Langston, a pioneering African-American attorney, abolitionist, and politician. The school was established with a mission to provide legal education to Freedmen following the Civil War and the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments. Its founding was part of the broader mission of Howard University, which was chartered by an act of Congress in 1867. The early curriculum was practical, designed to equip students to protect the nascent rights of the Freedmen's community. The school faced significant challenges in its early decades, including limited resources, but it persevered under the leadership of deans like William Henry Harrison Hart. A pivotal moment came in 1929 when then-dean Charles Hamilton Houston began a transformative overhaul of the institution, raising its academic standards to gain accreditation from the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools.

Role in the Civil Rights Movement

Under the deanship of Charles Hamilton Houston and his star pupil Thurgood Marshall, Howard Law School became the "West Point of the Civil Rights Movement." Houston developed the legal strategy of using the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause to systematically dismantle state-sanctioned racial segregation. This work was conducted largely through the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which was led by Howard Law graduates. Faculty and students, including future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, meticulously prepared cases that challenged Jim Crow laws. The school's moot court room was the training ground for landmark litigation, most notably the series of cases culminating in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). This role cemented the school's reputation not as a radical institution, but as a disciplined center for the lawful and constitutional advancement of civil rights.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

The school's alumni and faculty constitute a who's who of American legal and political history. Its most famous alumnus is Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Other distinguished graduates include former Vice President Kamala Harris; former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; civil rights attorney and Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman; and the first African-American Secretary of Transportation, William Thaddeus Coleman Jr.. Notable faculty have included legal scholars like Patricia J. Williams and the late J. Clay Smith Jr.. The legacy of Dean Charles Hamilton Houston, often called the "man who killed Jim Crow," remains the school's most profound academic and moral influence.

Academic Programs and Jurisprudence

Howard University School of Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, as well as the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in both Human Rights Law and Clinical Law. The school has a strong tradition in clinical legal education, allowing students to gain practical experience while serving the local community. Its curriculum emphasizes social justice, civil rights law, and public interest law. The school is also home to several influential academic journals, including the Howard Law Journal. The intellectual tradition of the school, often termed the "Howard School of jurisprudence," is characterized by a commitment to using the law as a tool for societal change and the protection of minority rights, grounded in a rigorous understanding of legal precedent and constitutional principles.

Institutional Impact and Legacy

The institutional impact of Howard University School of Law extends far beyond its campus. It has been the primary producer of African-American lawyers and judges in the United States for over a century. Its graduates have served at every level of the federal judiciary, in the U.S. Cabinet, in Congress, and as leaders of major civil rights organizations. The school's legacy is one of fostering national cohesion by preparing leaders who work within the American legal system to expand liberty and equality for all citizens. It stands as a testament to the principle that access to elite legal education is essential for the stability and continued progress of a pluralistic democracy. The school continues to emphasize its founding mission of educating "social engineers" who are committed to the public good.