A program in legal studies was developed in 1893, when the university’s first two law professors were engaged. They were Benjamin Harrison, whose responsibility was to deliver lectures on the Constitution, and Nathan Abbott, who was a chairperson of the future law program. Abbott created a small faculty the characteristic of which was rigor and excellence that are necessary nowadays. In his honor, the student, who has best academic results, is nominated to Nathan Abbott Scholar.
Stanford’s law program became an independent professional school in the year 1916. When the department provided a professional law course, it moved from Encina Hall, which was men’s dormitory accommodation, to the Inner Quad. The teaching programs and the library funds were rapidly growing, and the law school started to give lectures on medical law as it was requested by the medical faculty.
The World War I, the Great Depression and World War II afterwards did harm to the law school. At the end of 1943, only 30 students studied there. Though notwithinstanding anything the law school showed high academic standards, realizing that in early 1940 the country will need high quality of education. It was understood that government would be in charge of regulation of private affairs, administrative law, taxation, trade regulation, labor law, and the university made related subjects part of the curriculum.
In the late 1940s and 1950s a lot of changes were brought to the law school. They moved to the Quad, the Stanford Law Review was started, Crothers Hall , a new dormitory was built. At that period two future justices of the Supreme Court of the US graduated. Plus that year about 350 students were enrolled.
In 1960s and 1970s the law school began to enroll students of different nationalities, including the first black student in 1965 and the first black professor.
A lot of things were altered at the University since 1893. Firstly, only Californian students were enrolled. Nowadays they come from all the states of the US and some other countries. In 1893 everyone could enter the school, and already in 2005 there were more than 4500 volunteers applied for 170 places. In 1893, there were not many courses offered; nowadays, students have a choice of 175 courses only in the law school, and many others in other parts of the university. Despite these changes, Stanford Law School’s basic target stayed the same. They are still dedicated to the highest standards of learning and to the training of students so that they could serve their clients and the community.