Hixon Experiential Learning Center
Named for James A. and Robin L. Hixon, the Center opens in 2017. It provides much needed space for Law School clinics and the Legal Practice Program, as well as two classrooms and a courtroom.
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Law Library Addition circa 2010
The Wolf Law Library addition and renovation project was completed during the summer of 2007.
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Architectural Rendering of the Law School's North Wing circa 2002
The North Wing addition opened in January 2002 and added almost 30% more space to the Law School. This space included 6 new classrooms, faculty offices, a faculty meeting and dining room, suites for the Institute of Bill of Rights Law and...
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Marshall-Wythe School of Law circa 1980 (front)
The home of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, located on South Henry Street in Williamsburg, VA, as of July, 1980.
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Marshall-Wythe School of Law circa 1980 (rear)
The home of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, located on South Henry Street in Williamsburg, VA, as of July, 1980.
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Law School Ground Breaking Ceremony
From left to right: Steve Conte (SBA President, Class of 1977), William B. Spong, Jr. (Law School Dean), Thomas A. Graves, Jr. (President of the College of William and Mary), and David Wayne O'Bryan (Class of 1967).
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Architectural Rendering of the Law School circa 1976
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Marshall-Wythe Hall circa 1970
In 1968 the Library building was renamed Marshall-Wythe Hall when the School of Law moved into the building. The Law School would reside here until 1980 when it moved into its current location on South Henry Street. Item from collection...
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Plans for Law School Renovation: Second Floor
In 1968 the Library building was renamed Marshall-Wythe Hall when the School of Law moved into the building. These plans were published in the Spring 1967 issue of the News Letter to detail the renovations taking place prior to the move to...
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Plans for Law School Renovation: Basement
In 1968 the Library building was renamed Marshall-Wythe Hall when the School of Law moved into the building. These plans were published in the Winter 1967 issue of the News Letter to detail the renovations taking place prior to the move to...
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Plans for Law School Renovation: First Floor
In 1968 the Library building was renamed Marshall-Wythe Hall when the School of Law moved into the building. These plans were published in the Winter 1967 issue of the News Letter to detail the renovations taking place prior to the move to...
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Bryan Hall circa 1964
In the 1960's the law school grew too large for its current home and parts of the school moved to Bryan Hall. Photo published in Vol. 58, No. 6 of the Bulletin of The College of William and Mary - Catalogue Issue (April, 1964).
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Rogers Hall
In the 1960's the law school grew too large for its current home and parts of the school moved to Rogers Hall (renamed Chancellors Hall in 1982 and rededicated as Tyler Hall in 1988).
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Marshall-Wythe Hall circa 1936
Built between 1834-1835, Marshall-Wythe Hall was built to house the Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship (including the School of Jurisprudence). The building was renamed James Blair Hall in 1968 when the Law School moved...
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The St. George Tucker House
St. George Tucker, William & Mary's second Professor of Law and Police, usually held classes in his house, which still stands on W. Nicholson Street just east of Palace Green. Photo published in Vol. XXIV, No. 3 of the Bulletin, The...
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Brafferton Hall circa 1922
Brafferton Hall was built in 1723 from the proceeds of the Brafferton estate and was used as an Indian School until the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Occasional law classes were held in the building from 1780-1859. After the Wren...
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Old Gym circa 1922
The Old Gymnasium at the College of William & Mary opened in 1900 and was converted to a lecture room building in 1922. One of the departments that utilized this space was the newly revived Marshall-Wythe School of Government and...
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The Opening of the Marshall Wythe School
The Marshall Wythe School of Government and Citizenship, which will house the School of Government and the School of Law, formally opened on January 14, 1922. This photograph was taken during the opening celebration in the Old...
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George Wythe House circa 1915
George Wythe taught law to students in his house, which still stands on Palace Green, both before and after he became Professor of Law and Police at William & Mary. Photo published in 1915 Colonial Echo.
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Colonial Courthouse circa 1912
George Wythe and several of his successors used the Courthouse as a site for moot courts. It was used in this manner from 1779-1861. Photo published in the 1912 Colonial Echo.
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Wren Building circa 1858
The Wren Building was the primary venue for law classes from January 1780 when Wythe became the first professor of law until it burned in 1859, shortly before the Civil War closed the College in 1861. Photograph was digitized by the...
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A collection of documents pertaining to or written about William & Mary Law School (or, as it was originally called, the Marshall-Wythe School of Law). More information about the history of the law school, as well as its digitized archives, can be found by searching the repository's collections listed on the Archives and Law School History page.
Publications from 1779
At a convocation of the visitors of the college of William and Mary, on the 4th day of December 1779, a statute was passed, of which the following is an extract, College of William & Mary
(The Virginia Gazette, December 18, 1779, at 1)
Publications from 1790
St. George Tucker Law Lectures, circa 1790s, St. George Tucker
Publications from 1792
Plan for Conferring Degrees on the Students of Law in the University of William and Mary (ca. 1792), St. George Tucker
Publications from 1813
Resolution by William and Mary students in Regard to the Death of William Nelson, Professor of Law
(Enquirer, March 19, 1813, at 3)
Publications from 1834
Law Lecture at William and Mary, N. Beverley Tucker
(1 Southern Literary Messenger 145-154 (1834))
Publications from 1835
Professor Beverley Tucker's Valedictory Address to his Class, N. Beverley Tucker
(1 Southern Literary Messenger 597-602 (1835))
Publications from 1847
Judge Tucker's Address, N. Beverley Tucker
(13 Southern Literary Messenger 568-570 (September 1847))
Publications from 1920
Special School Endowments: Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship, College of William & Mary
(The Romance and Renaissance of the College of William and Mary in Virginia 30-31 (1920))
Publications from 1921
William and Mary's Pioneer American Law School, Robert M. Hughes
(American Bar Association Journal (June 1921))
The Honorable George Wythe: Teacher, Lawyer, Jurist, Statesman; an Address Delivered Before the Wythe Law Club of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 18, 1921, Oscar Lane Shewmake
Publications from 1922
The Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship, College of William & Mary
The Opening of the Marshall Wythe School, College of William & Mary
William and Mary, The First American Law School, Robert M. Hughes
(2 William and Mary College Quarterly 2nd 40-48 (1922))
American Constitutional Government, Alton B. Parker
(Congressional Record (May 12, 1922))
William and Mary Citizenship Creed, William & Mary Law School
William and Mary Citizenship Creed, 3rd Edition, William & Mary Law School
William & Mary Citizenship Creed, 2 ed., William & Mary Law School
Publications from 1929
One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary of the Foundation of The First Law School in America: Taught by Chancellor George Wythe, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Member of the Federal Constitutional Convention and Preceptor of Marshall, Jefferson, Monroe and Clay, Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler and John Garland Pollard
Publications from 1931
More Anent the First Law School, Theodore S. Cox and Robert M. Hughes
(The Law Student 13-15 (October 1931))
Publications from 1934
William And Mary's School Of Jurisprudence Now Has Full Faculty And Library, Editors of the Daily Press
(Daily Press (July 1, 1934))
Publications from 1940
Law at William and Mary, Theodore S. Cox
(8 The Alumni Gazette (The College of William and Mary in Virginia) 6-7, 22-24 (December 1940))
Publications from 1950
W&M Plans to Graduate Law Students
Woodbridge Named Dean of W&M Law
Publications from 1954
Descendants of John Marshall Gather to Honor Great Jurist, Charles K. Marshall
(The Virginian-Pilot (September 1954))
Jurists of Britain, America Pay Homage To Predecessors At William-Mary Ceremonies, Robert C. Smith
(The Virginian-Pilot (September 26, 1954))
Marshall-Wythe Blackstone Commemoration Ceremonies: The Rededication of The Anglo-American Bench and Bar To Its Traditions of Representative Constitutional Government, William & Mary Law School
Short History of the Marshall Wythe School of Law, Dudley Warner Woodbridge
Publications from 1960
One Hundred Eightieth Anniversary Feature: William and Mary: America's First Law School, Fred B. Devitt Jr.
Publications from 1966
1966 Debate Over the First Law School in America, College of William & Mary
Publications from 1967
America's First Law Schools: Significance or Chauvinism?, William F. Swindler
(41 Connecticut Bar Journal 1-15 (1967))
John Marshall's Preparation for the Bar -- Some Observations on His Law Notes, William F. Swindler
(11 American Journal of Legal History 207-213 (1967))
Publications from 1969
Ceremonies Marking the Completion of the Remodeling of the Law School Facilities, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 1970
J.P. Whyte Is Appointed W&M Dean, Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at D-6 (Feb. 12, 1970))
W&M Law School Names Donaldson Associate Dean, Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-2 (Aug. 26, 1970))
Law in America's Service: From 1779 to the Present, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 1973
W&M Law School Agrees to Alter Enrollment Ratio, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-1, B-4 (July 10, 1973))
Publications from 1974
New Building Called Cure for W&M Law School Ills, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-2 (Dec. 4, 1974))
W&M Law School Dean Hails ‘Tremendous Boost’, Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at A-6 (January 10, 1974))
Publications from 1975
W&M Names Spong Head of Law School, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at C-1 (November 23, 1975))
Plans for Legal Center at W&M Unveiled, Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-4 (Jan. 31, 1975))
Law School to Be Quartered in New Complex, William F. Swindler
(The Legal Advertiser (January 23, 1975))
Building Only Option, W&M Informs ABA, Times-Dispatch State Staff
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-1 (December 9, 1975))
Search Under Way to Find New Law Dean at W&M, Times-Dispatch State Staff
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at D-6 (June 1, 1975))
W&M Acting Dean Named, Times-Dispatch State Staff
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-3 (August 23, 1975))
Publications from 1976
W&M's Law School Accredited, For Now
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at C-1, C-6 (July 8, 1976))
No Hint Is Given On School, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-1 (May 14, 1976))
W&M Law School Due Hearing May 13, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-1, B-8 (April 30, 1976))
Publications from 1977
W&M Starts Ball Rolling on Law Building, Times-Dispatch State Staff
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at C-19 (November 10, 1977))
Publications from 1978
Stained Glass Given to W&M by Oxford, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-1 (July 14, 1978))
Construction has Begun, William B. Spong Jr.
(8 Colonial Lawyer 19 (1978))
William and Mary Marks Bicentennial of Its First Chair of Law, William F. Swindler
(64 American Bar Association Journal 1872-1877 (Decemer 1978))
Publications from 1979
The History of Legal Education in Virginia, W. Hamilton Bryson
(14 University of Richmond Law Review 155-210 (1979))
Bicentennial of American Legal Education, 1779-1979, College of William & Mary
Students to the Rescue: Marshall-Wythe Would Be Ancient History If Not For The Efforts Of Some Rebellious Students, College of William & Mary
(47 The Alumni Gazette 10-11 (September, 1979))
Law School Passed Trials of War, Funds, Public Apathy, Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at G-1, G-2 (April 29, 1979))
New Law Building Construction Progresses, William B. Spong Jr.
(9 Colonial Lawyer 2-3 (1979))
Publications from 1980
Law School Dedication -- A Dream Fulfilled, College of William & Mary
(IX William and Mary News 4-5 (September 16, 1980))
Revitalized Marshall-Wythe Dedicated at Ceremony, College of William & Mary
(48 The Alumni Gazette 7 (October, 1980))
New Law School Accepted 'As A Gift From Virginia', Wilford Kale
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at F-11 (September 14, 1980))
Dedication of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 1981
Coif Panel Votes to Include W&M
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-4 (April 28, 1981))
Another Chapter in the History of Marshall-Wythe, William F. Swindler
(11 Colonial Lawyer 16-18 (1981))
W&M Law School to Get Tenants, Times-Dispatch State Staff
(Richmond Times-Dispatch at B-2 (July 23, 1981))
Publications from 1983
How a Small Band of Students Saved the Law School, Roy William Arthur
(1983 Annual Report of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law 8-9)
The Highest Aim, Lisa Heuvel
(1983 Annual Report of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law 5-8)
Publications from 1985
Retirement of William B. Spong, Jr., Board of Visitors, College of William and Mary
A Message from the New Dean, Timothy J. Sullivan
(14 Colonial Lawyer 4 (1985))
Publications from 1990
The Revolutionary Idea of University Legal Education, Paul D. Carrington
(31 William and Mary Law Review 527-574 (1990))
Publications from 1992
Resolution to Recognize the Service and Dedication of Timothy J. Sullivan
The Inauguration of Timothy J. Sullivan (October 16, 1992), College of William & Mary
Tim Sullivan '66 Named 25th President, S. Dean Olson
(59 Alumni Gazette 1 (May 1992))
In Celebration of the Bicentennial of America's First Bachelor of Law Degree Recipient, William Cabell, William & Mary LB, 1793, Susan L. Trask
(1992 William & Mary Lawyer 6-10)
Publications from 1993
Remembering Jefferson, Paul D. Carrington
Publications from 1996
America's First Law School Library: A History of the College of William and Mary's Marshall-Wythe Law Library, 1779-1995, James S. Heller
(Law Librarianship: Historical Perspectives 43-76 (Laura N. Gasaway & Michael G. Chiorazzi eds., 1996))
Publications from 1999
State of the Law School Address, W. Taylor Reveley III
Publications from 2000
State of the Law School Address, W. Taylor Reveley III
Remarks by William H. Rehnquist at the College of William & Mary, W. Taylor Reveley III and William H. Rehnquist
Dedication of the Statues of John Marshall & George Wythe, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 2001
The Jeffersonian Vision of Legal Education, Davison M. Douglas
(51 Journal of Legal Education 185-211 (2001))
America's First – William & Mary Law School, Megan Rhyne
(William & Mary Society of the Alumni Magazine 30-34 (Winter 2001))
Publications from 2002
Dedication of the North Wing Marshall-Wythe School of Law, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 2006
Invitation to the Dedication of the Timothy J. Sullivan Classroom (November 17, 2006), William & Mary Law School
Publications from 2007
The Dedication of The Wolf Law Library, William & Mary Law School
Publications from 2010
Jefferson's Vision Fulfilled: The Nation's Oldest Law School Celebrates 230 Years of Educating Citizen Lawyers, Davison M. Douglas
(William & Mary Alumni Magazine 48-51 (Winter 2010))
Publications from 2013
W&M Law School gets Expansion OK: Improvements will cost $14 million, Taryn Rothstein
(The Virginia Gazette, February 9, 2013 at 3A)
Publications from 2017
Taylor Reveley Classroom Dedication, Davison M. Douglas, W. Taylor Reveley III, and Mark S. Dray
Publications from 2022
Meet Dean Spencer, A. Benjamin Spencer