Below are online exhibits highlighting certain parts of the Law School's history using materials from our archives.
The U.Va. Law School Library: From Jefferson's Quill to the Digital Age
After its establishment in 1819, the University of Virginia Library opened with 375 legal titles in its collection. Today, the U.Va. Law Library has become one of the nation's preeminent legal research libraries with a collection of over 250,000 printed texts and a dedication to managing and delivering digital content for legal research.
A Poet's Answer to Equity Pleading: The Story of an Extraordinary Exam
In June 1932, Thomas W. Blake, Jr., a second year U.Va. law student and banjo player, wrote an exam for his Equity Pleading class entirely in verse. Though Blake never completed his degree, his exam earned "First" marks from the examining professor. In 2010, Special Collections digitized and transcribed Blake's intriguing work of legal poetry.
Our Faculty: A Legacy of Excellence in Legal Scholarship and Education
Beginning with John Tayloe Lomax in 1826, the law faculty of U.Va. have been experts in their fields and outstanding teachers, building the Law School's reputation as one of the finest in the country. Some laid the school's solid foundation as administrators. Others advanced from UVA to positions of importance in the federal government, many as judges in the federal and international courts. U.Va. professors have published many of the preeminent casebooks in their fields and helped develop new avenues of legal scholarship.
Notable Alumni/ae, Distinguished Careers
Over the decades our graduates have developed distinguished careers as justices, members of congress, ambassadors, educators, businessmen and women, and community leaders in many fields. Here we feature some of their accomplishments.