Northampton Law School (sometimes called the Howe and Mills Law School) was a school for legal education and was located in Northampton, Massachusetts. Though open for only a few years in the 1820s, it produced several prominent alumni, including

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Franklin Pierce.

History

In 1823 Judge Samuel Howe (1785 – 1828) opened a law school in Northampton which was modeled on his alma mater, the Litchfield Law School. Howe operated the school from his law offices with the assistance of his partner Elijah H. Mills. In addition, Howe also enlisted the aid of local lawyer John H. Ashmun (the son of

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Eli Porter Ashmun and brother of Congressman

George Ashmun George Ashmun (December 25, 1804 – July 16, 1870) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts. Ashmun was born in Blandford, Massachusetts to Eli P. Ashmun and Lucy Hooker. He graduated from Yale in 1823 and wa ...

). The school continued with Howe in the lead role until his death in 1828. When Mills decided to curtail his participation, Ashmun took on leadership of the school. In 1829 Ashmun was appointed to a professorship at Harvard Law School. As a result, he closed the Northampton Law School, with many of his students following him to Harvard.

Legacy

Among the prominent individuals who attended Northampton Law School during its short existence were: * Franklin Pierce,

from 1853 to 1857 * George Stillman Hillard, United States Attorney for Massachusetts from 1866 to 1870 and husband of Howe's daughter Susan * William A. Walker, United States Representative from New York *

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officer during the

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* Edward Dickinson, United States Representative from

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and father of poet

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* Epaphroditus Ransom,

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from 1848 to 1850Reed, George Irving
''Bench and Bar of Michigan,'' 1897, page 8

References

{{authority control 1823 establishments in Massachusetts 1829 disestablishments in Massachusetts Education in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Northampton, Massachusetts Law schools in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Independent law schools in the United States Defunct private universities and colleges in Massachusetts Defunct law schools