The law school that survived a total institutional shutdown

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1943, World War II nearly erased Brooklyn Law School from existence. With enrollment plummeting and its parent university moving to shutter the program, the school's survival was only secured by a desperate, grassroots rescue mission led by its own alumni.

Founded in 1901 as the Heffley School of Commerce, Brooklyn Law School (BLS) was born from the Pratt Institute's Department of Commerce. It was established as the first law school on Long Island, opening its doors on September 30, 1901, with just five faculty members and five students. From its inception, the school carved out a distinct identity by opening to minorities, women, and immigrants, while offering night classes and credit-based enrollment for those facing financial hardship.

The institution faced a critical existential crisis in 1943. During the height of World War II, enrollment dropped to a mere 174 students. St. Lawrence University, which had operated the school since 1903 and conferred its degrees, decided to shut it down entirely. However, the school was saved by a coordinated effort from its alumni, who organized to negotiate the repurchase of the school's assets, successfully establishing BLS as an independent institution.

Today, the school operates as a major legal hub in Downtown Brooklyn, housing a four-story library with 586,000 volumes. It maintains a diverse clinical program—ranked 28th nationally in 2009—where students represent death row inmates, tech entrepreneurs, and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Despite a 2012 legal challenge over its hiring data clarity, the institution maintains high success figures, such as the 87% success level for 2024's initial New York Bar candidates.

The school's academic reach is bolstered by joint degree programs with institutions like Baruch College and Pratt Institute, covering fields from City and Regional Planning to Library and Information Science. It remains a center for specialized legal research, hosting centers dedicated to urban business entrepreneurship, international business law, and the intersection of cognitive sciences with legal theory.

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