Princeton Law School
Encyclopedia
The Law School at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
) began instruction in 1847 as a modest effort consisting of three professors: Joseph Coerten Hornblower
, Richard Stockton Field
, and James S. Green
. Only seven students would obtain a law degree before the school closed in 1852. The short-lived experiment at establishing a law school
would be the farthest headway the university would make in a recurring ambition and effort of varying levels of toil. Previously, in the 1820s, an attempt was made to organize teaching in law, but this plan ended with the death of the designated professor. In 1935, the university once again formed appreciable plans for the start of a law school but was unable to secure a faculty. The desire remained after these unsuccessful efforts but aspirations would be relegated to thirsting words rather than material preparations. In 1974, then president of Princeton, William G. Bowen
, selected a committee to investigate and advise on the achievability of a law school. The committee recommended plans for a law school be deferred after citing high construction costs.
schools do have professional schools of jurisprudence. Also, James Madison
, the Father of the Constitution, was a Princeton University
graduate and a lawyer; however, Madison attended Princeton before the university's abortive attempt at a law school, during a time when law schools in North America were rare and most lawyers earned their credentials through a period of apprenticeship
.
At a press conference of law school deans in 1998 decrying the annual US News Law School Rankings
, New York University School of Law
Dean John Sexton
quipped, "If they were asked about Princeton Law School, it would appear on the top 20 -- but it doesn't exist" (Sexton was denouncing the US News usage of reputation survey results from judges, lawyers and law school deans in its ranking formula, expressing doubt over the expertise of some surveyed). A 2003 National Review
Online commentary blundered when the author, Candace de Russy, identified the law school at Princeton as real: "These yearnings are embodied in a doctrine called ‘transnational progressivism,’ which is gaining prominence in law schools, for example, at Princeton and Rutgers
". During the Senate Judiciary Committee vote for Supreme Court
nominee Samuel Alito
, Sen. Richard Durbin attested that now Justice Alito hailed from "Princeton Law" (Alito attended Princeton University for his undergraduate studies, but received his law degree from Yale Law School
). Both de Russy and Durbin became cases in point for Sexton’s comments, since the former is an academic holding a Ph.D., while the later holds a Juris Doctor
(J.D.) from Georgetown University Law Center
.
Princeton Law has also been used in fictional settings to imply an individual's elite university connections without citing an actual school. In The Cosby Show
, the eldest daughter Sondra is portrayed as a dropout of this law school. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
, Philip Banks, the wealthy judge, is supposedly a graduate of the school.
The inept lawyer from The Simpsons
, Lionel Hutz
, claims to have a J.D. from Princeton.
A running joke in the legal community is that Princeton's fictional legal division is also the world's preeminent institution in the formerly non-existent field of space law
. The joke predates the existence of actual space law programs at institutions such as the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Princeton University does award honorary degrees of law. Sonia Sotomayor
, then Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and later Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United States
, received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Princeton University.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
) began instruction in 1847 as a modest effort consisting of three professors: Joseph Coerten Hornblower
Joseph Coerten Hornblower
Joseph Coerten Hornblower was an American lawyer and jurist from Belleville, New Jersey. He was the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.-Biography:...
, Richard Stockton Field
Richard Stockton Field
Richard Stockton Field was a United States Senator from New Jersey, and later a United States federal judge. Field was the great-grandson of Richard Stockton , New Jersey Delegate to the Continental Congress, and the grandson of Richard Stockton , US Senator from New Jersey.Born in White Hall,...
, and James S. Green
James S. Green (New Jersey lawyer)
James Sproat Green was an American lawyer who served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1835 to 1850. He was the father of New Jersey Governor Robert Stockton Green.-Biography:...
. Only seven students would obtain a law degree before the school closed in 1852. The short-lived experiment at establishing a law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
would be the farthest headway the university would make in a recurring ambition and effort of varying levels of toil. Previously, in the 1820s, an attempt was made to organize teaching in law, but this plan ended with the death of the designated professor. In 1935, the university once again formed appreciable plans for the start of a law school but was unable to secure a faculty. The desire remained after these unsuccessful efforts but aspirations would be relegated to thirsting words rather than material preparations. In 1974, then president of Princeton, William G. Bowen
William G. Bowen
William G. Bowen is President Emeritus of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation where he served as President from 1988 to 2006. He was the president of Princeton University from 1972 to 1988....
, selected a committee to investigate and advise on the achievability of a law school. The committee recommended plans for a law school be deferred after citing high construction costs.
Mistaken and fictional references
A large portion of the general public, and even some members of the legal community, believe Princeton Law School is still operational. This likely stems from the fact that the majority of Ivy LeagueIvy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools do have professional schools of jurisprudence. Also, James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, the Father of the Constitution, was a Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
graduate and a lawyer; however, Madison attended Princeton before the university's abortive attempt at a law school, during a time when law schools in North America were rare and most lawyers earned their credentials through a period of apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
At a press conference of law school deans in 1998 decrying the annual US News Law School Rankings
Law School Rankings
Law school rankings are a specific subset of college and university rankings dealing specifically with law schools. Like college and university rankings, law school rankings can be based on empirical data, subjectively-perceived qualitative data , or some combination of these.Such rankings are...
, New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
Dean John Sexton
John Sexton
John Edward Sexton is the fifteenth President of New York University, having held this position since May 17, 2002, and the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law. From 1988 to 2002, he served as Dean of the NYU School of Law, which during his deanship became one...
quipped, "If they were asked about Princeton Law School, it would appear on the top 20 -- but it doesn't exist" (Sexton was denouncing the US News usage of reputation survey results from judges, lawyers and law school deans in its ranking formula, expressing doubt over the expertise of some surveyed). A 2003 National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
Online commentary blundered when the author, Candace de Russy, identified the law school at Princeton as real: "These yearnings are embodied in a doctrine called ‘transnational progressivism,’ which is gaining prominence in law schools, for example, at Princeton and Rutgers
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
". During the Senate Judiciary Committee vote for Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
nominee Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
, Sen. Richard Durbin attested that now Justice Alito hailed from "Princeton Law" (Alito attended Princeton University for his undergraduate studies, but received his law degree from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
). Both de Russy and Durbin became cases in point for Sexton’s comments, since the former is an academic holding a Ph.D., while the later holds a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) from Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
.
Princeton Law has also been used in fictional settings to imply an individual's elite university connections without citing an actual school. In The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, the eldest daughter Sondra is portrayed as a dropout of this law school. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, Philip Banks, the wealthy judge, is supposedly a graduate of the school.
The inept lawyer from The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Lionel Hutz
Lionel Hutz
Lionel Hutz is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman, and his first appearance was in the season two episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car". Due to the death of Hartman, his final speaking role was in the episode "Realty Bites"...
, claims to have a J.D. from Princeton.
A running joke in the legal community is that Princeton's fictional legal division is also the world's preeminent institution in the formerly non-existent field of space law
Space law
Space law is an area of the law that encompasses national and international law governing activities in outer space. International lawyers have been unable to agree on a uniform definition of the term "outer space," although most lawyers agree that outer space generally begins at the lowest...
. The joke predates the existence of actual space law programs at institutions such as the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Princeton University does award honorary degrees of law. Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
, then Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and later Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Princeton University.