The second oldest law school in California: USC Gould or Stanford?

In a Metropolitan News Enterprise column, Roger M. Grace is setting the record straight on what California law school was second in time. According to Grace's latest Perspectives column, which focuses on the beginnings of legal education in California, the University of California Hastings clearly fills the role of first in time with the very first courses taking place in 1878. However, the issue of which California law school takes the honor of second in time may not be as clear.

Contenders for the second law school in California are the Los Angeles Law School, which later became the law school at USC, and Stanford Law School. Grace's column goes through the many fascinating historical facts that are available on the issue and promises more in a future column on what may be the contender for the fourth slot, the San Francisco YMCA Law School, later known as Golden Gate University School of Law.

While digging up the facts on the earliest remnants of legal eduction in California, one question, which Grace alludes to, is figuring out what precisely makes an educational institution a law school. Interestingly, while sorting out what constitutes a law school to discuss the early beginning of legal education in California, the most junior law school in California, the UC Irvine School of Law, continues the history of redefining the fundamental nature of legal education.

The Journal of Legal Education: A new home at Southwestern Law School

The California State Bar PTLS Program: practicing law students

Law school bans law firm from OCI participation

The Law School 100: iPhone application

Judge Robert M. Takasugi: Pro Bono Bar Review

The ABA Economic Crisis Commission: Paying law school loans without a job

The Chris Brown sentence: community service v. community labor

How do you fit into the Real Estate Investment Deal? (08/11/2009)

Chapman University School of Law: New Trial Advocacy Residency LLM program

Get a Job! The Legal Public Service Corps

Kaplan PMBR launches full-service bar review in California

UCLA Law School: Forum on climate change (8/21/2009)

Southwestern Law School faculty update

UC Irvine School of Law establishes Korean Law Center: International Law

Los Angeles Superior Court litigation program

UCLA Law School students file 'Friend of the Court' briefs in environmental cases