Founded in a Public Spirit
Mid-Century Expansion
A Succession of Deans, a Period of Growth
A Dynamic Present, a Bright Future
For over 75 years, Wayne State University Law School has produced creative, motivated leaders who have shaped the modern face of society through remarkable contributions to law, business, and education. The Law School brings together a thriving community of thinkers from all walks of life, and prepares them to face important issues with thoughtful and creative solutions - living up to a tradition set by the Law School's founders.
Founded in a Public Spirit
Recognizing the need for a good public law school, a group of public-spirited lawyers, including Allan Campbell, the School's founding dean, established Detroit City Law School in 1927 as part of the Colleges of the City of Detroit. Originally structured as a part-time, evening program, the school graduated its first class with the Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.) in 1928.
The Law School and the other colleges grew and flourished and were subsequently renamed Wayne University in 1933. In 1956, the University joined the University of Michigan and Michigan State University as one of Michigan's three major public universities, and was renamed Wayne State University.
The initial home of the Law School was in Old Main, but in 1936, the school was relocated off campus to larger facilities in the High School of Commerce building. In 1937, Arthur F. Neef became dean. Full American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation was granted in 1939. The Law School returned to the main campus area in 1943, moving into a large house at 5063 Cass. Another house, located at 5229 Cass Avenue, was home for the Law School beginning in 1946.
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Mid-Century Expansion
Graduate course work in labor law and taxation was initially offered in 1950 with the first Master of Laws degrees (LL.M.) conferred on two women in 1952. The Case Club (now the Moot Court program) that began in 1938 was revitalized after World War II, and teams representing the Law School began interschool competition in 1950. The Wayne Law Review became part of Law School life when it commenced publication in 1954. The addition of a student-managed, scholarly publication enhanced the prestige of the Law School and provided important experience and opportunities for students. As a special honor, students who participated on The Wayne Law Review were granted Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees rather than LL.B. degrees.
The 1960s brought other changes to the Law School, including the Free Legal Aid Clinic, which was founded by students in 1965. The program, now operated in conjunction with the Legal Aid and Defender Association, has provided legal assistance to thousands of indigent people while giving Wayne State's students invaluable experience.
Beginning in 1965, the Law School began to award the Juris Doctor degree to law students who had obtained an undergraduate degree. The last Bachelor of Laws degrees were awarded in 1968. In 1960, at the urging of the ABA and the Board of Commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan, Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan Law School joined to form the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) in 1960. Now one of the largest organizations of its type in the nation, ICLE provides Michigan lawyers with accessible, high-quality, continuing legal education and resource materials that enable them to practice law more effectively.
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A Succession of Deans, a Period of Growth
Late in 1966, the Law School moved again, to its present location. After Dean Neef's retirement, Charles W. Joiner became dean of the Law School in 1968. Under Dean Joiner, the Law School expanded its faculty and gained a national reputation for its urban programs. After his appointment to the federal district court bench, Dean Joiner was succeeded in 1975 by Donald H. Gordon, under whose leadership the Law School's growth in size and quality continued.
John C. Roberts became dean in 1980, after serving as associate dean of Yale Law School and as counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee. During his tenure, the Law School thrived, winning national recognition by earning an Order of the Coif chapter. Additionally, in 1986 students organized the Student Trial Advocacy Program designed to enhance practical trial experience. Hundreds of students participate in practice exercises and mock trials each year.
John W. Reed came to the Law School in 1987, after serving as dean of the University of Colorado Law School and as the Thomas M. Cooley Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. Dean Reed's commitment to excellence attracted talented faculty members and an excellent, diverse student body. James K. Robinson, a 1968 graduate of the Law School, became dean in 1993. With his background as a law student, active alumnus, and member of the adjunct faculty, combined with his experience as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and years in private practice, Dean Robinson established a strong connection between the bench and bar and the academy.
Joan Mahoney, a 1975 Law School graduate, became the school's eighth dean in 1998, following her term as dean of Western New England College of Law. Dean Mahoney's distinctive scholarly background - three degrees in history, including a Ph.D. from Cambridge University - enriched the school's curriculum. As the first female dean of any law school in Michigan, Dean Mahoney's unique views and experiences brought the Law School into the twenty-first century. Dean Mahoney oversaw the most successful capital campaign in the Law School's history - over $19 million raised- and the construction of the school's state-of-the-art addition, which was dedicated in 2001.
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A Dynamic Present, a Bright Future
In 2004, the Law School attained another milestone by appointing Frank H. Wu as its ninth dean. Dean Wu is the only Asian-American law dean in Michigan and one of the few in the nation, and he brings with him a wealth of experience in public intellectual life and a dynamic approach to enhancing the quality and reputation of the Law School's programs. A native of metropolitan Detroit, Dean Wu earned his law degree from the University of Michigan and taught at Howard University in Washington, D.C. before coming to Wayne. He is highly sought-after as a speaker on issues of race in American life and is known for his 2002 book Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White. In June 2004, soon after being named Dean, Wu was honored as one of the nation's twenty most influential scholars by Black Issues in Higher Education magazine.
Dean Wu takes office at a time of unprecedented opportunity for the Law School. The University has committed substantial resources toward the growth of the Law School's faculty and programs in the near term, and the Law School's active and supportive alumni have committed to raise considerable scholarship funds to ensure that the Law School continues to attract, retain, and graduate the best and the brightest future lawyers for years to come.
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