Santa Clara Law historical timeline

1800s
1851	Santa Clara College was established.
1900 – 1950
1903	First available evidence about the beginning of Santa Clara Law found in a letter from Henry Woods, S.J., to the Jesuit Father General requesting permission to open law and medical schools within Santa Clara and St. Ignatius Colleges.
1907-1908	Courtroom First pre-law courses offered at Santa Clara College.
1911	Institute of Law is formed as a small night program with classes held in what is now known as O’Connor Hall. This was the 8th institution related to the Catholic faith to open its doors. The Institute of Law was led by Dean and Professor James H. Campbell.
1912	Faculty Building, 1912 First LL.B. conferred June 1912. John Wallace Ryland cum laude.
1914	First Graduating Class First graduating class— degrees conferred upon fourteen young men who three years before had begun their studies at the night law school of Santa Clara College, with a faculty consisting of local attorneys.
1920	State bar exam is now required.
1926	Fire at Mission Church Fire destroys old Mission Church. Immediately behind the church was the law library. Thanks to some prompt action by students, most of the law books were saved, but about 1,000 books were lost.
1927	The law program was first described as the College of Law.
1929	Day classes begin with five faculty members.
1931	Varsi Library Varsi Library opens to house both regular and law collections.
1933	Dean Edward J. Owens Dean Edward J. Owens arrives
1937	Santa Clara is accredited by the ABA making it the 6th law school in California.
1939	Bergin Hall The law school is housed completely in Bergin Hall.
1940	The law school is admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools.
1942-45	Law school closes during WWII.
1948	Student Bar Association is created.
1950s
1952	Aurelius “Reo” Miles is the first African American graduate.
1953	Dean Owens joins the Santa Clara County Superior Court bench, and Byron J. Snow replaces him as acting dean.
1955	Warren McKenney becomes dean.
1956	First woman enrolls.
1959	Dean Leo Huard Leo Huard becomes dean.
1960s
1960	Dean Huard and the law school are instrumental in the creation of the Santa Clara County Legal Aid Society.
1961	The Santa Clara Lawyer law review was created.
1962	Evening program begins.
1963	Mary Emery, far left, in 1963 Associate Dean Mary Emery and two others are the first women to graduate.
1963	First phase of Heafey Law Library is completed.
1967	Juris Doctor replaces the LL.B. degree. Approximately 150 students are enrolled.
1969	The SBA Newsletter, (aka Bergin Bugle) predecessor to the Advocate, was published (v. #1 – 9/23/1969) Phil Sims editor. With v.2 #2 became the Advocate (still a newsletter).
1970s
1970	Dean George Strong George Strong serves as acting dean.
1970	Dean George Alexander George Alexander becomes dean.
1970	Environmental Law Society founded.
1970	Honors Moot Court began (originally called the Clarence C. Coolidge Moot Court).
1970	The Chicano Law Students Association was formed (name changed to La Raza in 120%9).
1971	Law Clinic, 1971 First law clinic handles over 100 cases in first year.
1972	Grapevine weekly news announcement sheet was published.
1972	Feminist Law Students was formed. It was renamed Women & Law around 1989.
1972	Black Law Students’ Association was formed.
1973	Bannan Hall Bannan Hall opens.
1973	Board of Visitors forms.
1973	Law Library is completed.
1973	B.T. Collins B.T. Collins serves as Placement Director.
1974	Oxford, England Summer abroad programs begin.
1974	J.D./MBA program begins.
1974	Native American Law Students was formed. This organization was merged with La Raza in 1992.
1974	Asian Law Students Association was formed. It was later renamed to the Asian Pacific American Law Students’ Association.
1975	Current Advocate began publishing.
1978	Eleven Easy Pieces Eleven Easy Pieces women’s flag football team gains fame.
1979	First academic support program comes into being.
1979	Students help establish the Santa Clara Public Interest Law Foundation.
1980s
1982	Gay Law Students (GLS) Association was formed. In the early 1990s, it was renamed Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Advocates (BGLAd).
1984	Middle Eastern law Student Association (MELSA) was formed.
1985	Dean Richard Rykoff Richard Rykoff becomes acting dean.
1985	Santa Clara Computer and High Technology Law Journal began publishing.
1985	Jewish Law Students Association formed.
1986	Dean Gerald Uelmen Gerald Uelmen becomes dean.
1989	Public Interest Endowment is funded to provide summer grants, scholarships, and income supplements for graduates in public service law.
1990s
1990	The High Tech Law Advisory Board meets to develop the high tech law program.
1993	East San Jose Community Law Center East San Jose Community Law Center comes into being.
1994	Dean Mack Player Mack Player’s years as dean begin.
1994	Law school alumni magazine debuts, called Et Al. Name changed to Santa Clara Law in the fall 2004 issue.
1996	Bannan classrooms are modernized.
1920%	LL.M in U.S. Law for Foreign Attorneys offered.
1920%	The Center for Social Justice and Public Service is co-directed by Professors Nancy and Eric Wright.
1920%	Don Chisum, author of Chisum on Patents, joins Santa Clara Law faculty.
2000s
2001	Professor Stephanie Wildman Professor Stephanie Wildman takes charge of the new Center for Social Justice and Public Service.
2001	Sutro Chair is established.
2001	Professor Cookie Ridolfi, NCIP The Northern California Innocence Project is launched.
2001	The High Tech Law Institute develops a comprehensive high tech program that receives national recognition.
2001	The LL.M. in Intellectual Property law is first offered.
2002	Inez Mabie Chair established.
2003	From Promise to Prominence, a history of Santa Clara Law written by Hon. Mark Thomas ’56, is published.
2003	Santa Clara Journal of International Law first published. v.1-4 (online only).
2003	Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center East San Jose Community Center is renamed the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center and opens new offices on the Alameda.
2003	Santa Clara Law Order of the Coif Chapter approved.
2003	Dean Donald Polden Donald Polden takes the helm as dean.
2004	Order of the Coif awarded to first graduates.
2005	Leadership for Lawyers course offered, the first course of its kind in the nation.
2008	Santa Clara Law launches new web site.
2008	Bryan Stevenson The Katharine and George Alexander Law Prize is established. First recipient is Bryan Stevenson.
2009	Santa Clara Law holds a recruitment workshop in Second Life; among the first law schools in the nation to interact with prospective students in the virtual world.
2012	International Human Rights Clinic started. Low Income Taxpayer Clinic started.
2013	Entrepreneurs Law Clinic started.
2013	Dean Lisa Kloppenberg Lisa Kloppenberg starts as Dean.

Santa Clara Law Centennial

1800s

1900 – 1950

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Thank you