William Minor Lile (March 28, 1859 – December 13, 1935) was an American law school professor and administrator. A graduate of the

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...

, he began teaching at that institution in 1893. In 1896, he was made administrative head of the law school, and, in 1904, he became its first dean. Along with

Charles A. Graves Charles Alfred Graves (October 20, 1850 – November 10, 1928) was a legal scholar and law professor, who taught at the law schools of Washington and Lee University and the University of Virginia. Biography Charles A. Graves was born on Mechums ...

and Raleigh C. Minor, he worked to modernize the school, requiring two years of undergraduate study for admittance and increasing the length of instruction from one to three years. During his tenure, the faculty also increased from four professors to eight. In 1913, he helped establish the ''

Virginia Law Review The ''Virginia Law Review'' is a law review edited and published by students at University of Virginia School of Law. It was established on March 15, 1913, and permanently organized later that year. The stated objective of the ''Virginia Law Revi ...

''. He retired in 1932. From 1912 to 1913, he served as the president of the Virginia State Bar Association. Lile died on December 13, 1935 in

Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the sout ...

. He was buried in the

University of Virginia Cemetery The University of Virginia Cemetery and Columbarium is a cemetery on the grounds of the University of Virginia, located at the intersection of McCormick Road and Alderman Road. In operation since 1828, during the earliest days of the university, ...

. The William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition at U.Va. Law is held annually in his honor and has included many notable participants and judges.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lile, William Minor 1859 births 1935 deaths University of Virginia School of Law alumni