Changing Demographics

In 1943, Portia Law School was still primarily a women’s institution, but the end of World War II changed everything. Veterans taking advantage of the G.I. Bill swelled the school’s ranks, ensuring that male students were now overwhelmingly in the majority.

By the mid-1960s, the school was in the midst of another dramatic transformation. The board had decided to pursue accreditation from the American Bar Association, a significant undertaking involving upgrades to admission standards and the school’s facilities, as well as the hiring of a full-time faculty.

1. 1943: Changing of the guard

2. 1944: Tough times

   The one-two punch of the Great Depression and World War II translates into the smallest classes since Portia Law School’s very first years. Only 14 students enroll for the 1944-45 school year.

   Portia Law School classroom, 1940s. Courtesy of New England School of Law Library Archives

3. 1949: Male students tip the balance

4. 1952: A woman becomes dean

5. 1958: The school expands

6. 1962: Slade becomes dean

7. 1963: A bold new path

8. 1965: Portia Law Journal launches

9. 1966: Kozuch becomes dean

10. 1968: The board is restructured