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Law School Authorized in University Charter
The Law School was authorized in the initial charter for the University of Wisconsin. -
First Law Class
UW Law School is established with a first year admission of 15 students for a one-year course of study. -
Law Building Built
The Law building is constructed on Bascom Hill after years of negtiations. -
Third Year Added
A third year is added to the law curriculum, a measure which still stands today. -
Law School Becomes AALS certified.
The law school becomes certified within the American Association of Law Schools. Today this association is conjoined with the ABA. -
Wisconsin Law Review Founded
The entirely student-run law newspaper is created. This is still a popular read today. -
School Raises Undergraduate Standards
The law school now requires at least 3 year of undergraduate work in a qualifying major. Most students now do 4 years and receive a B.A. prior to law school -
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A Year of Financial Firsts
The law school begins dispensing legal aid to low-income consumers in Wisconsin. Students would sometimes have their first legal experiences with these cases. Meanwhile, the law faculty becomes the first workers compensation system in the nation. -
Alumi Association Founded
The UW Law Alumni Association is founded by Dean Lloyd Garrison to promote closer contact between the school and its graduates. -
First Cane Toss
The first known cane toss occurs at the Homecoming game. Students, led by their professors, ran down the field and threw a cane over the goalpost. If they caught the cane on the other side, they would allegedly win their first case. This event may have occurred earlier but there is no official account. -
Freeing of the Slaves Mural
John Stuart Curry paints his "Freeing the Slaves" mural in the Law Library. Actual completion date is contested. -
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A Decade of Beginnings
Professor Charles Bunn creates the Uniform Commerical Code, the first of its kind in the nation, which leads to more commercial regulations on trade. Continuing Legal Education is established. Environmental Law Studies is founded at Wisconsin and soon spreads across the country. -
Gargoyle Becomes Mascot
A gargoyle statue survives the demolition of the first law school and is elevated to mascot status by Dean George Young. -
A New Law Building
The second law building is constructed on Bascom Hill. It soon becomes the site for most classes. -
The Committee of 30
The Law School faculty serves as the "Committee of 30" in serving as fact-finders during the student unrest from protests. The first African-American factulty member, James E. Jones Jr. is nominated to lead this. -
Important Branches Founded
The Institute for Legal Studies and the East Asian Legal Studies Center are created to draw more undergraduates to law school. These still exist today. -
Major Renovations Completed
A major renovation project on the building is completed that combines the two buildings into one and adds a glass atrium. Construction began in 1994 and cost $16.5 million. -
A Prestigious Ranking from U.S. News
U.S. News ranks UW Law School 31st among all ABA-certified law schools nationally.
