The State and National Law School was an early practical training law school founded in 1849 by John W. Fowler in

Ballston Spa, New York Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, ...

(

Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...

). It was also known as New York State and National Law School, Ballston Law School, and Fowler's State and National Law School. In 1853 the school relocated to

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

( Dutchess County). The school closed in the 1860s.

History

Founded in 1849 by John W. Fowler, the school was one of the first in the country to provide practical training for law students, rather than just academic lectures on legal theories. The school began in the former Sans Souci Hotel in Ballston Spa, but only stayed in the facility for three years. The school was under supervision of a Board of Trustees appointed by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...

. The National Law School used very advanced teaching methods for its time. "There, students were assembled into mock courtroom scenarios, playing all of the roles witnesses, bailiffs, jurors, and attorneys. The professors were the judges, and the teams of attorneys were given a set of facts to work with to build their case." In 1849 the law school briefly hosted the Beta Proteron Charge of

Theta Delta Chi Theta Delta Chi () is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College, New York, United States. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are TDX, Thete, Theta Delt, and Thump ...

fraternity.Theta Delta Chi International Fraternity,
Theta Delta Chi's history of growth.
" The institution struggled financially and also encountered problems with its facilities in Ballston Spa. President Fowler made the decision to relocate the law school to Poughkeepsie in late 1852. In January 1853 the school opened for its first term in Poughkeepsie. The reasons given for the move as stated by the trustees: "The building in Ballston is old and the rooms are cold, while in Poughkeepsie our accommodations are comfortable and pleasant. The village to which we have removed is much larger and more pleasant than Ballston, containing six or eight flourishing Literary Institutions, of which four are Female Seminaries. The people of Poughkeepsie furnish, besides these Libraries, adequate funds to place the institution on a high and permanent basis."

Degrees granted

The board was authorized to confer upon each graduate the degree of LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws).

Closure

The law school closed in the early 1860s as the result of declining enrollment caused by potential students joining the military during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Notable alumni

Despite its short tenure, the law school produced many prominent alumni: *

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

, 1854,

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* Sullivan Ballou, 1852,

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officer featured in Ken Burns's "The Civil War" * Levi W. Barden, 1852, member of the

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and the

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, 1853,

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and member of the

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* Angus Cameron, 1853, United States Senator from Wisconsin * Charles S. Cary, 1850,

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and railroad and banking executive * Julius Curtis, 1850, judge, and member of the

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* Benjamin W. Dean, 1849,

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* Ralph Hill, 1851,

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from Indiana *

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, 1857, United States Representative from Vermont. * Tim N. Machin, 1849, Lieutenant Governor of California * Samuel D. McEnery, 1859, United States Senator/ Governor of Louisiana * John F. Miller, 1852,

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from California *

Henry Wilbur Palmer Henry Wilbur Palmer (July 10, 1839 – February 15, 1913) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Henry Palmer was the father of Bradley Palmer, a Boston lawyer known for his involvement with United Frui ...

, 1860, United States Representative from Pennsylvania * James Innes Randolph, Lawyer, poet, topographical engineer, and Confederate Army major. Most famous poem was I'm A Good Ol' Rebel * Niles Searls, 1849, Chief Justice of

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Lionel Allen Sheldon Lionel Allen Sheldon (August 30, 1828 – January 17, 1917) was appointed a brigadier general in the Ohio militia in 1858 by Governor Salmon P Chase and served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. A U.S. Representative ...

, 1853, United States Representative from Louisiana * Julius L. Strong, 1853, United States Representative from Connecticut *

Ormsby B. Thomas Ormsby Brunson Thomas (August 21, 1832October 24, 1904) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for three terms (1885–1891), representing Wisconsi ...

, 1856, United States Representative from Wisconsin * Henry D. Washburn, 1853, United States Representative from Indiana * William Brewster Williams, 1851, United States Representative from Michigan

References

{{authority control 1860s disestablishments in New York (state) Defunct private universities and colleges in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1849 Law schools in New York (state) Education in Saratoga County, New York Poughkeepsie, New York 1849 establishments in New York (state) Defunct law schools

History

Degrees granted

Closure

Notable alumni

See also

References