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

3. 1949: Male students tip the balance

4. 1952: A woman becomes dean

5. 1958: The school expands

   Portia Law School acquires 47 Mount Vernon, right next door to its existing building. The new facilities had previously housed Northeastern University School of Law, which also offered a part-time program.

   47 Mount Vernon Street is on the left. Courtesy of New England School of Law Library Archives

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