Litchfield Law School (closed 1833)

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Connecticut (Litchfield) -- Litchfield Law School -- closed 1833 -- Accreditation: not applicable -- Year Founded: 1773

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Re: Litchfield Law School (closed 1833)

The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut was the first law school in the United States, having been established in 1773 by Tapping Reeve, who would later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. By the time the school closed in 1833, over 1,100 students had attended the institution including Aaron Burr, Jr. and John C. Calhoun.

The law school, including Reeve's house, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965 as the Tapping Reeve House and Law School. The Tapping Reeve House and Law School are owned and operated by the Litchfield Historical Society as a museum displaying life in a 19th century period school. The Society also operates the Litchfield History Museum, and admission includes both sites.



1784 Litchfield Law School building, adjacent to Reeve's home, pictured in a 1906 postcard