1903 & 1946: The Making and Remaking of the University of Nebraska College of Law

Legal education at the University of Nebraska College of Law has undergone at least two significant upheavals. In rough terms, one can be associated with the deanship of Roscoe Pound from 1903 to 1907 and the other with the years 1946 to 1950 when Frederick Beutel was dean. Both periods presented fertile opportunity for educational reorganization. It is the thesis of this commentary that the two educational revisions, and their underlying philosophies, reflect clearly identifiable conclusions about the perceived purpose of a law school. This commentary first describes the chief characteristics of the educational process at the College of Law which predated the reorganization in order to provide a basis for understanding what problems were perceived during each period. Then, it discusses both the curriculum revisions for the period and their philosophical bases with a view toward understanding the purposes of legal education thereby advanced. Finally, by way of conclusion, a comparison of the two periods is offered. I. Introduction II. 1903–1907, Dean Roscoe Pound … A. The Pre-Pound Period … B. 1903–1907 III. 1946–1950, Dean Frederick Beutel … A. The Pre-Beutel Period … B. 1946–1950 … 1. Making Law Study Scientific … 2. Integrating Non-Legal Materials … 3. Training for Public Service … 4. The Four-Year Program IV. Conclusion