Historic law school (1869–1954) that pioneered women's legal education in Washington, D.C.
National University was founded in 1869 to fulfill George Washington's vision of a flagship national university. The law school was its principal institution, formally incorporated on September 19, 1870. The school's founders emphasized legal education as central to training citizens in the science of government. Early chancellors included U.S. Presidents Grant, Garfield, Hayes, Arthur, and Cleveland, followed by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Freeman Miller (1890) and prominent jurist Arthur MacArthur Sr.
The law school awarded two-year Bachelor of Laws degrees and later Master of Laws degrees. By 1873, it employed three professors including federal judges Joseph Casey and Arthur MacArthur. The school expanded to include medical and dental schools (1884–1903) and a college with economics and government programs (1920s–1940s). Notable early lecturers included Supreme Court Justice Samuel Freeman Miller and historian James Schouler. Class sizes grew from 31 graduates in 1872 to approximately 70 by the late 1880s.
National University pioneered women's legal education in America. Belva Ann Lockwood, rejected by other law schools due to her gender, was admitted and received her diploma in 1873 after petitioning President Grant. She became the first woman admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1879 and ran for president in 1884 and 1888. Ellen K. Raedy earned her law degree in 1928, became the first female faculty member, and was appointed judge to D.C. Municipal Court in 1935.
The law school experienced steep enrollment decline in the 1940s–1950s, dropping from 325 students in 1941 to 43 graduates in 1954. In 1954, National University merged with George Washington University Law School. The merger was delayed by segregation issues—National had desegregated years earlier while George Washington remained opposed to integration. George Washington trustees voted to desegregate on June 30, 1954, and ratified the merger the same day, acquiring National's physical property, assets, and library collection.