In 2010, Stanford Law School was ranked number three in the nation behind Harvard and Yale and has been ranked in the top three by U.S. News & World Report since 1992. With its world-renowned faculty and the smallest class sizes among the top 25 ranked schools, Stanford Law continues to thrive each year.
Though Stanford offered law classes since 1893, just one year after the University's founding, the school's Board of Trustees did not create an actual "law school" until 1908. Then-future President Benjamin Harrison and Nathan Abbott were the first two law professors. At the time, the law department enrolled many students who might not have been welcome at more traditional law schools at the time, including women and Hispanic, Chinese and Japanese students. Today, Stanford Law School enrolls a higher percentage of minority students than any of its peer schools.
In 1966, the law school began its first joint degree program with the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Since its inception, the law school has strived towards interdisciplinary education, working with graduate schools throughout the university to develop cooperative learning and joint degree programs.
To provide experiential learning, the law school has developed a state–of–the art clinical program offering students opportunities to work with actual clients. The first of these clinics was the East Palo Alto Community Law Project, organized by a group of Stanford Law School students, which opened its doors in 1984.
Students can now choose from 25 formal degrees in fields ranging from economics and public policy to bioengineering. Stanford is particularly known for its prestigious Intellectual Property program.
Notable alumni include William Rehnquist, Sandra Day O'Connor and Warren Christopher.