Kappa Beta Pi () is a Legal Association which was formerly a
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
law
sorority
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
in the United States.
History
Kappa Beta Pi was founded at
Chicago-Kent College of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. It is ranked 91st among U.S. law schools, and its trial advocacy program is ranked in ...
, Chicago, Illinois on . Its Founders were:
The sorority was incorporated in Illinois on December 15, 1908. This date is celebrated by chapters as Founders' Day. The organization was the first legal sorority in the U.S., that is, the first such group designed in the support of the legal profession.
Since 1925, admission of new chapters has been limited to American schools that met the requirements for membership in the Association of American Law Schools, or to schools on the approved list of the American Bar Association, along with those foreign law schools meeting equivalent requirements.
In 1927 its first international chapter was formed, ''Omicron chapter'', in Paris, France. This was later followed by chapters in London, England, in West Germany, in Shanghai, China, several in Canada, and one in the US Territory of Puerto Rico.
During the first half of the 20th Century, the Sorority published lists of law firms that would hire women, and those which resisted. It also published catalogs of female judges and lawyers serving in the field.
At the 1973 convention, the name was changed to Kappa Beta Pi Legal Association International, and from this juncture is now properly referred to as a legal association, not a sorority.
At the May 1976 convention in Columbus Ohio, all references believed to indicate a restriction of membership to women were removed.
Kappa Beta Pi had been a chartering member of the Professional Panhellenic Association, and thus became a member of the
Professional Fraternity Association
The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate (law, me ...
(PFA) when the PPA merged with the Professional Interfraternity Association. Later, Kappa Beta Pi resigned from the PFA.
Some records of the organization's headquarters were provided to the Denver Public Library, which reports 17 boxes of materials spanning from 1930 to 1979.
The last known address for this Legal Association was either in Silver Spring, MD (per Baird's) or in Omaha, NE (Guidestar). As of November 2021, Guidestar reports "no activity for some time". The organization may be defunct.
Traditions and Insignia
The badge is a monogram with the jeweled and superimposed over the letters and , which are embellished with scroll work. The pledge pin is an irregularly shaped shield enameled in Turquoise and old gold.
The coat of arms places a field of Turquoise blue in the upper left, while the lower right field is white. Devices, the Open Book, and Scales are rendered in gold. The Knight's Helmet is shown ''proper'', that is, in the natural color, shown full face with the visor open and is of steel with silver ornaments. The helmet symbolizes the protection of the law, and inspires chivalrous conduct.
The flower is the Yellow
Tea Rose
Garden roses are predominantly hybrid roses that are grown as ornamental plants in private or public gardens. They are one of the most popular and widely cultivated groups of flowering plants, especially in temperate climates. An enormous number ...
.
The colors are turquoise blue and old gold.
The official song, ''To Kappa Beta Pi'' was written in 1941 by Alice Craig Edgerton.
The organization publishes a quarterly, called ''The Kappa Beta Pi Quarterly'', one edition annually in an esoteric form, called ''The Secret Bulletin.''
A fifty-year history was also written by Ms. Edgerton, who served as its first Grand Dean, or president, and published by the organization.
Chapters
The chapter roll of Kappa Beta Pi Legal Association.
Chapters in ''italics'' are dormant. Chapters in bold are active. Those unknown are in plain text.
*1908 - Alpha -
Chicago-Kent Law
*1915 - ''Beta -
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
''
*1916 - Gamma -
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private university, private, Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-centu ...
*1916 - ''Delta - Chicago''
*1916 - Epsilon -
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
*1916 - Zeta -
John Marshall Law, Chicago
*1916 - ''Eta -
University of Texas Law''
*1917 - Theta - Kansas City
*1917 - Iota -
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
(dormant between 1945–46)
*1920 - ''Kappa -
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
(dormant 1929)''
*1920 - Lambda - Detroit
*1920 - Mu - Detroit Law (dormant between 1939–59)
*1920 - Nu -
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
*1921 - Xi - Michigan
*1921 - ''Omicron - National Law (school merged with George Washington)''
*1921 - ''Pi - Washington (MO)''
*1921 - ''Rho - Iowa''
*1921 - ''Sigma - Cornell (dormant 1939)''
*1921 - ''Tau - Boston''
*1921 - ''Upsilon - Syracuse''
*1921 - ''Phi - Illinois''
*1921 - ''Chi - Oregon''
*1921 - ''Psi - Wisconsin, Madison''
*1923 - ''Omega -
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(dormant 1949)''
*1923 - Alpha Alpha -
John Marshall Law, Cleveland
*1923 - ''Alpha Beta -
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
(dormant in 1958)''
*1924 - ''Alpha Gamma - Southwestern, Los Angeles''
*1924 - Alpha Delta -
Buffalo
*1924 - ''Alpha Epsilon - Chicago-Kent Law (school closed in 1935)''
*1924 - ''Alpha Zeta -
Marquette University
Marquette University () is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Henni, John Martin ...
''
*1924 - ''Alpha Eta - Hastings Law (dormant in 1957)''
*1924 - Alpha Theta -
Loyola, Chicago
*1925 - ''Alpha Iota - St. Louis''
*1925 - ''Alpha Kappa -
Creighton''
*1925 - Alpha Lambda -
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
(dormant 1942-1951
*1925 - Alpha Mu -
Osgoode, Toronto, Canada
*1926 - Alpha Nu -
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
*1926 - Alpha Xi-
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
*1927 - Alpha Omicron - Paris, France
*1930 - ''Alpha Pi - Tulane''
*1931 - ''Alpha Rho - Alabama''
*1931 - Alpha Sigma - Denver
*1931 - ''Alpha Tau -
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
''
*1932 - ''Alpha Upsilon -
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
''
*1932 - Alpha Phi -
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
*1934 - Alpha Chi - Columbia (dormant 1938-57)
*1940 - Alpha Psi -
Southern Methodist
, mottoeng = " The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, pro ...
*1940 - Alpha Omega -
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
*1940 - Beta Alpha - London, England
*1946 - Beta Beta - Missouri (dormant 1950-51)
*1946 - Beta Gamma - Columbus Law (DC)
*1946 - ''Beta Delta - San Francisco''
*19xx - Beta Epsilon - ?
*1947 - ''Beta Zeta - Shanghai (China)''
*1948 - Beta Eta - South Dakota
*1949 - Beta Theta - Miami (FL)
*1949 - Beta Iota - Emory (dormant 1952-53)
*1950 - ''Beta Kappa -
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
''
*1952 - Beta Lambda -
St. Mary's San Antonio
*1953 - Beta Mu -
Georgetown
*1954 - Beta Nu, West Germany
*1955 - Beta Xi - Houston
*1956 - Beta Omicron - Toledo
*1958 - ''Beta Pi - Boston Law''
*1960 - ''Beta Rho - Kentucky''
*1962 - Beta Sigma - Seton Hall
*1962 - ''Beta Tau -
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
(dormant 1970)''
*1963 - ''Beta Upsilon -
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
(dormant 1974)''
*1963 - ''Beta Phi -
Fordham (dormant 1970)''
*1963 - ''Beta Chi -
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
(dormant 1971)''
[Baird's list shows two "Kentucky" chapters, in ''Beta Rho'' and ''Beta Chi''.]
*1964 - ''Beta Psi - Puerto Rico (dormant 1973)''
*1966 - Beta Omega -
Ohio Northern
*1966 - ''Gamma Alpha - Colorado (dormant 1972)''
*1967 - ''Gamma Beta - Franklin (OH) (dormant 1973)''
*1967 - Gamma Gamma -
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
*1967 - Gamma Delta - Arkansas, Little Rock
*1968 - ''Gamma Epsilon - New Brunswick, Canada (dormant 1973)''
*1970 - Gamma Zeta -
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
*1971 - Gamma Eta - Texas Tech
*1972 - ''Gamma Theta -
Pitt (dormant 1973)''
*1972 - ''Gamma Iota -
Duquesne (dormant 1973)''
*1973 - Gamma Kappa - Windsor, Ontario, Canada
*1974 - Gamma Lambda - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
See also
*
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...
(honor society, law)
*
The Order of Barristers
The Order of Barristers is an honor society for United States law school graduates. Membership in The Order of Barristers is limited to graduating law students and practicing lawyers who demonstrate exceptional skill in trial advocacy, oral advo ...
(honor society, law; litigation)
*
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi () is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Phi Delta Phi was originally a professional fraternity but became an honor society in 2012.
The fraternity ...
(honor society, law; was a professional fraternity)
*
Alpha Phi Sigma
Alpha Phi Sigma () (Phi is pronounced "fi") is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canad ...
(honor society, criminal justice)
*
Lambda Epsilon Chi
Lambda Epsilon Chi () is a national academic honor society for paralegal students. Lambda Epsilon Chi recognizes students who have demonstrated superior academic performance in an established, qualified program of paralegal/legal assistant studi ...
(honor society, paralegal)
*
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi () is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar A ...
(professional fraternity, law)
*
Gamma Eta Gamma
Gamma Eta Gamma () is a professional law fraternity and was a member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
Chapters are limited to law schools on the approved list of the American Bar Association.
History
Gamma Eta Gamma was founded on Fe ...
(professional fraternity, law)
*
Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( or P.A.D.) is the largest professional law fraternity in the United States. Founded in 1902, P.A.D. has since grown to 717 established pre-law, law, and alumni chapters and over 330,000 initiated m ...
(professional fraternity, law)
*
Phi Beta Gamma
Phi Beta Gamma () was a professional fraternity in the field of Law.
History
Phi Beta Gamma was founded on April 24, 1922 at Georgetown University School of Law. It was a founding member of the Professional Interfraternity Conference in 1928 an ...
(professional fraternity, law)
*
Phi Delta Delta
Phi Delta Delta () was a women's professional law fraternity founded in 1911. It merged with Phi Alpha Delta in 1972.[Sigma Delta Kappa
Sigma Delta Kappa () is a Professional Fraternity in the field of Law. It was founded in 1914 at the University of Michigan Law School.
History
Sigma Delta Kappa was founded as a Men's Professional Fraternity for Law on August 14, 1914.
The found ...](_blank)
(professional fraternity, law)
*
Kappa Alpha Pi (professional)
Kappa Alpha Pi () or KAPi (pronounced "Kap-ee") is a co-ed pre-law fraternity that began at The University of Michigan.
Declaration of Purpose
"The purpose of this Fraternity shall be to foster knowledge of the law for undergraduate students; t ...
(professional fraternity, pre-law)
*
Nu Beta Epsilon
Nu Beta Epsilon () is a professional law fraternity .
History
The fraternity is the result of a merger between two substantially identical groups: Nu Beta Epsilon, founded in 1919 at Northwestern University School of Law and Alpha Kappa Sigma ...
(Jewish, originally men's professional fraternity, law, dormant?)
References
{{Authority control
Professional legal fraternities and sororities in the United States
Student organizations established in 1908
Legal organizations based in the United States
Former members of Professional Fraternity Association
1908 establishments in Illinois