Valparaiso University School of Law

The Valparaiso University Law School was the law school of Valparaiso University, a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. Founded in 1879, the school was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1929 and admitted to the Association of American Law Schools in 1930. In October 2016, the ABA censured the school for admitting applicants who did not appear capable of satisfactorily completing the school's program of legal education and being admitted to the bar. One year later, the school suspended admissions and shut down after the last class graduated in 2020. Campus The city of Valparaiso, Indiana, is located southeast of Chicago, and south of Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The Valparaiso law school was primarily located in Wesemann Hall, in an area known as "Old Campus". Valparaiso University's campus is part of the downtown Valparaiso historic district. The Lawyering Skills Center and Law Clinic were next door, in the recently renovated Heritage Hall. History Originally named the Northern Indiana Law School, Valparaiso Law School began operations with nine students (including two women) on November 11, 1879. Tuition was set at $10 per term. It was one of the first in the nation to admit both men and women. Colonel Mark L. DeMotte became the school's first dean and was one of the original three faculty members. During his appointment he developed the core curriculum that remained in use at Valparaiso until its closure.