James Parker Hall (1871-1928) was an American legal scholar and university administrator who served as dean of the University of Chicago Law School between 1904 and 1928. He is the longest-serving dean of the law school.

Life and career

Hall was born on November 30, 1871, in

Frewsburg, New York Frewsburg is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Carroll in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 1,906 at the 2010 census. The ZIP code is 14738 and the telephone exchange (which extends past Carroll and ...

. He graduated from Jamestown High School in 1890. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teac ...

with an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

with honors in 1894. He was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ar ...

. In 1897, he graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class i ...

with a

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

''cum laude'' and served as an editor of the '' Harvard Law Review''. He was admitted to the New York bar in the same year and practised at a law firm in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Southe ...

. Between 1897 and 1900, he taught constitutional law and property law at Buffalo Law School and later taught as an associate professor at Stanford University until 1902. Hall joined the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School at its founding in 1902. When the law school's inaugural dean,

Joseph Henry Beale Joseph Henry Beale (October 12, 1861 – January 20, 1943) was an American law professor at Harvard Law School and served as the first dean of University of Chicago Law School. He was notable for his advancement of legal formalism, as well ...

, left in 1904, Hall was appointed dean. He taught constitutional law and torts. Hall was involved in several organizations relating to the development of the law. He was a member of the

American Judicature Society The American Judicature Society (AJS) is an independent, non-partisan membership organization working nationally to protect the integrity of the American justice system. AJS's membership — including judges, lawyers, and members of the public — ...

and a member of the council and the executive committee of the

Association of American Law Schools The Association of American Law Schools (AALS), formed in 1900, is a non-profit organization of 176 law schools in the United States. An additional 19 schools pay a fee to receive services but are not members. AALS incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non ...

. During the First World War, he served as a major in the department of

Judge Advocate Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions. Australia The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that provi ...

. He also served on the board of trustees of

and on various boards and committees at the University of Chicago. Hall died following post-operative complications in 1928.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, James Parker American legal scholars American legal writers 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers American scholars of constitutional law Harvard Law School alumni University of Chicago Law School faculty People from Frewsburg, New York 1871 births 1928 deaths Cornell University alumni