Howard University School of Law
Encyclopedia
Howard University School of Law (also known as Howard Law or HUSL) is one of the professional graduate schools of Howard University
. Located in Washington, D.C.
, it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school
in the United States. Today, Howard University School of Law confers an average of 185 Juris Doctorate and Master of Law degrees annually to students from the United States and countries in South America
, the Caribbean
, Africa
, and Asia
. Howard University School of Law is fully approved by the American Bar Association
, and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools
.
. At the time, there was a great need to train lawyers who would have a strong commitment to helping black Americans secure and protect their newly established rights.
In those days, the law school did not have classrooms. The students met at night in the homes and offices of the faculty, all of whom were part-time. In the 20th century, it became not only a school, but also the embodiment of legal activism. It emerged as a "clinic" on justice and injustice in America, as well as a clearinghouse for information on the civil rights
struggle.
Thurgood Marshall
wanted to apply to his hometown law school, the University of Maryland School of Law
, but was told that he would not be accepted due to the school's segregation
policy. Marshall enrolled at Howard University's law school instead. There he studied under Charles Hamilton Houston
, a Harvard Law School
graduate and leading civil rights lawyer who at the time was the dean of Howard's law school. Houston took Marshall under his wing, and the two forged a friendship that would last for the remainder of Houston's life. Howard University was the site where Marshall and his team of legal scholars from around the nation prepared to argue the landmark Brown v. Board of Education
case.
.
(J.D.), and the Master of Laws
(L.L.M). Additionally, students can enroll in the J.D./M.B.A. dual degree program with the Howard University School of Business.
area of the city. The law school is located on its own 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) campus approximately five miles from the main campus.
.
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
. Located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
in the United States. Today, Howard University School of Law confers an average of 185 Juris Doctorate and Master of Law degrees annually to students from the United States and countries in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Howard University School of Law is fully approved by the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
.
History
Howard University School of Law started as Howard University Law Department on January 6, 1869, under the leadership of Professor John Mercer LangstonJohn Mercer Langston
John Mercer Langston was an American abolitionist, attorney, educator, and political activist. He was the first dean of the law school at Howard University and helped create the department. He was the first president of what is now Virginia State University. In 1888 he was the first African...
. At the time, there was a great need to train lawyers who would have a strong commitment to helping black Americans secure and protect their newly established rights.
In those days, the law school did not have classrooms. The students met at night in the homes and offices of the faculty, all of whom were part-time. In the 20th century, it became not only a school, but also the embodiment of legal activism. It emerged as a "clinic" on justice and injustice in America, as well as a clearinghouse for information on the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
struggle.
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
wanted to apply to his hometown law school, the University of Maryland School of Law
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is the second-oldest law school in the United States by date of establishment and third-oldest by date of first classes. The school is located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore in Downtown Baltimore's West Side...
, but was told that he would not be accepted due to the school's segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
policy. Marshall enrolled at Howard University's law school instead. There he studied under Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
, a Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
graduate and leading civil rights lawyer who at the time was the dean of Howard's law school. Houston took Marshall under his wing, and the two forged a friendship that would last for the remainder of Houston's life. Howard University was the site where Marshall and his team of legal scholars from around the nation prepared to argue the landmark Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
case.
Objectives
The objective of the School of Law is to produce superior professionals, capable of achieving positions of leadership in law, business, government, education, and public service. Most importantly, Howard University School of Law is dedicated to producing social engineersSocial engineering (political science)
Social engineering is a discipline in political science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments or private groups. In the political arena, the counterpart of social engineering is political engineering.For various reasons,...
.
Degrees Offered
Howard University School of Law offers the Juris DoctorJuris 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.), and the Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(L.L.M). Additionally, students can enroll in the J.D./M.B.A. dual degree program with the Howard University School of Business.
Campus
The campus is located in the upper Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., in the Forest HillsForest Hills, Washington, D.C.
Forest Hills is a quiet residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States, bounded by Connecticut Avenue NW to the west, Rock Creek Park to the east, Chevy Chase to the north, and Tilden Street NW to the south...
area of the city. The law school is located on its own 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) campus approximately five miles from the main campus.
Notable alumni
Howard University School of Law is one of the oldest law programs in the country. Established in 1869, the school has produced national leaders in politics, business, and in the legal profession. Among its distinguished graduates are Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder; former Washington, D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly; and former D.C. Mayor Adrian FentyAdrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
.
- Henry Lee Adams, Jr.Henry Lee Adams, Jr.Henry Lee Adams, Jr. is an American lawyer and United States federal judge.Adams was born in Jacksonville, Florida and graduated from Matthew Gilbert High School in Jacksonville in 1962. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Florida A&M University in 1966 and his J.D...
, United States District Judge - Arthur L. Bennett Sr., Superior Court of the District of Columbia Judge
- Stephanie Boswick, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge
- Aisha N. BraveboyAisha N. BraveboyAisha N. Braveboy is an American politician who represents district 25 in the Maryland House of Delegates.-Background:Born in Washington, D.C., Delegate Braveboy attended Melwood Elementary school, Kettering Middle school and graduated from Largo High School in 1992. She went on to the University...
, Maryland House of Delegates - William BryantWilliam B. BryantWilliam B. Bryant was a United States federal judge and chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the first black chief federal judge. He was appointed on July 12, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He studied political science at Howard University, graduating in 1932...
, United States District Court Judge - Roland BurrisRoland BurrisRoland Wallace Burris is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party....
, United States Senate - Maria Cabret, Supreme Court of the United States Virgin Islands
- Robert L. CarterRobert L. CarterRobert Lee Carter is a U.S. civil rights activist and judge.-Personal history and early life:Robert Lee Carter was born on March 11, 1917, in Careyville, Florida. While still very young, his mother moved north to Newark, New Jersey, where he was raised...
, United States District Court Judge - Mary Ann Shad Cary, first black woman to cast a vote in a national election
- Wiley Young DanielWiley Young DanielWiley Young Daniel is a United States federal judge.Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Daniel received a B.A. from Howard University in 1968 and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1971. He was in private practice in Detroit, Michigan from 1971 to 1977. He was a Director, Wayne County...
, United States District Court Judge - Leland DeGrasseLeland DeGrasseLeland George DeGrasse is an Associate Justice of the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department.-Early life and education:...
, New York Supreme Court (Appellate Division) Judge - Richard ErwinRichard ErwinRichard Cannon Erwin was an American jurist and politician who was the first African American to be elected to statewide office in North Carolina.After serving in the United States Army, Erwin graduated from Johnson C...
, United States District Judge - Adrian FentyAdrian FentyAdrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
, Mayor of Washington, DC - Wilkie Ferguson, United States District Judge
- Emma GillettEmma GillettEmma Gillett was an American lawyer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the advancement of legal studies for women....
, co-founder of American University's Washington College of Law and the first woman to be appointed notary public by the President of the United States - William P. Greene, United States Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims
- Joseph Woodrow HatchettJoseph Woodrow HatchettJoseph Woodrow Hatchett is a United States federal judge.Born in Clearwater, Florida, Hatchett received a B.A. from Florida A&M University in 1954 and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1959. He was in the United States Army Lieutenant from 1954 to 1956. He was a U.S. Marine Corps...
, United States District Court Judge - Earl Hilliard, United States House of Representatives
- Odell HortonOdell HortonOdell Horton was a United States federal judge.Born in Bolivar, Tennessee, Horton was a U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1953. He received a B.A. from Morehouse College in 1951, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and received an LL.B. from Howard University...
, former United States District Court Judge - Michele D. Hotten, Maryland Court of Special Appeals Judge
- Vernon E. Jordan Jr., former president of the National Urban League and Senior Managing Director with Lazard Freres
- J. Curtis JoynerJ. Curtis JoynerJ. Curtis Joyner is a United States federal judge.Born in Newberry, South Carolina, Joyner received a B.S. from Central State University, Ohio in 1971 and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1974. He also attended the National Judicial College, University of Nevada at Reno. He was a...
, United States District Court Judge - Damon KeithDamon KeithDamon Jerome Keith is a Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.-Biography:Keith grew up in Detroit, where he graduated from Northwestern High School in 1939; Keith then moved on to West Virginia State College , Howard University School of Law , and Wayne State...
, United States Court of Appeals Judge - Sharon Pratt KellySharon Pratt KellySharon Pratt Kelly , formerly Sharon Pratt Dixon and now known as Sharon Pratt, was the third mayor of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1995. Pratt was the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major American city...
, Mayor of Washington, DC - Henry L. MarshHenry L. MarshHenry L. Marsh III is an American civil rights lawyer and politician. A Democrat, in 1977 Marsh was elected by the city council as the first African-American mayor of Richmond. He was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1991, and has been re-elected...
, former Mayor of Richmond, Virginia and current Virginia State Senator - Consuelo Bland MarshallConsuelo Bland Marshall-Early life and education:Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Marshall received an A.A. from Los Angeles City College in 1956, a B.A. from Howard University in 1958, and an LL.B. from Howard University School of Law in 1961.-Career:...
, United States District Court Judge - Thurgood MarshallThurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, first African American United States Supreme Court Justice and first African American Solicitor General of the United States - Gregory MeeksGregory MeeksGregory Weldon Meeks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International...
, United States House of Representatives - Vicki Miles-LaGrangeVicki Miles-LaGrangeVicki Miles-LaGrange is the Chief U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. She was the first African American woman to be sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma...
, United States District Court Judge - Gabrielle Kirk McDonaldGabrielle Kirk McDonaldGabrielle Anne Kirk McDonald is an American lawyer and jurist who served as a judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
, United States District Court Judge and International Criminal Tribunal - James E. O'HaraJames E. O'HaraJames Edward O'Hara was an African American Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1887, representing North Carolina during part of the Reconstruction era....
, United States House of Representatives - Tanya Walton PrattTanya Walton PrattTanya Marie Walton Pratt is a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.-Early life and education:...
, United States District Judge - Charlotte E. RayCharlotte E. RayCharlotte E. Ray was the first black woman lawyer. Ray was born in New York City where her father the Reverend Charles Bennett Ray was a prominent abolitionist. During her childhood she attended the Institution for the Education of Colored Youth in Washington, D.C. which was one of the few...
, first African American female lawyer - Kasim ReedKasim ReedMohammed Kasim Reed, known as Kasim Reed, is a Democratic politician and the 59th Mayor of Atlanta, who previously represented the 35th District of the Georgia State Senate. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002...
, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia - Scovel Richardson, United States Court of International Trade Judge
- Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge
- Spottswood Robinson, United States Court of Appeals Judge
- William M. SkretnyWilliam M. SkretnyWilliam M. Skretny is a United States federal judge.Born in Buffalo, New York, Skretny received an A.B. from Canisius College in 1966, a J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1969, and an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1972. Fellow, Ford Foundation. He was an assistant...
, United States District Court Judge - Emmet G. SullivanEmmet G. SullivanEmmet G. Sullivan is a US District Court Judge in Washington, D.C.Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was born in Washington, D.C. and attended public schools in the District of Columbia until his graduation from McKinley High School in 1964...
, United States District Court Judge - Ive Arlington Swan, Supreme Court of the United States Virgin Islands
- Anne Elise ThompsonAnne Elise ThompsonAnne Elise Thompson is a United States federal judge.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thompson received a B.A. from Howard University in 1955, a M.A. from Temple University in 1957, and an LL.B. from Howard University School of Law in 1964. She was an attorney in the Office of the Solicitor of...
, United States District Court Judge - Joseph Cornelius WaddyJoseph Cornelius WaddyJoseph Cornelius Waddy was a United States federal judge.Born in Louisa County, Virginia, Waddy received an A.B. from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania in 1935 and an LL.B. from Howard University School of Law in 1938. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1939 to 1962...
, United States District Judge - Walter WashingtonWalter WashingtonWalter Edward Washington, was an American politician, the first home-rule mayor of the District of Columbia...
, first Mayor of Washington, DC - Togo D. West, Jr.Togo D. West, Jr.Togo Dennis West, Jr. is an American attorney and public official who was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had...
, former United States Secretary of Veteran Affairs - L. Douglas Wilder, first African American United States Governor and current Mayor of Richmond Virginia
- Alexander Williams Jr, United States District Court Judge
- Harris WoffordHarris WoffordHarris Llewellyn Wofford served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995 and as the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College, and is a noted advocate of national service and volunteering...
, United States Senate