America's First Law School: Litchfield Law School (1773), Connecticut

The first law school in the United States was the Litchfield Law School, founded in 1773 (not 1784) in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Key Facts

• Founder: Tapping Reeve — later Chief Justice of Connecticut Supreme Court.
• Model: First formal, structured legal curriculum in the US (previously, apprenticeship only).
• Duration: 14-month course; lectures on common law, equity, contracts, property, evidence.
• Notable Alumni: Aaron Burr, John C. Calhoun, Horace Mann, Levi Woodbury, 2 Vice Presidents, 101 Congressmen, 28 Senators, 14 Governors, 3 Supreme Court Justices.
• Closed: 1833 (outcompeted by Yale, Harvard Law Schools).
• Site: Now a museum (Tapping Reeve House & Law School) operated by Litchfield Historical Society.

Why 1784 Is Sometimes Cited

1784 is when Reeve built a dedicated one-room schoolhouse next to his home. Teaching began in his parlor in 1773.

Litchfield pioneered the professionalization of American legal education.