Part Two: Soldiers and School

In the early 20th century, legal education was undergoing an intense transformation as admissions requirements and course programs were becoming increasingly rigorous. These three issues of the Northwestern University Bulletin cover the Law School’s attempt to adapt to the new, higher standards through an increase in admissions and course requirements.

At the time, the principal degree offered by the Law School was the LL.B., or “Bachelor of Laws.” This three-year program allowed graduates to practice law, although they could choose to pursue advanced degrees, such as a Juris Doctor, Master of Law, or Master of Arts or Science (with an emphasis in law) if they wished.

The proposed changes, which were at the forefront in the field, included raising the admissions criteria to require at least three years of undergraduate coursework at an approved institution; barring this, candidates having attended an unapproved institution could take an examination, and a limited number who only possessed a high school education could be eligible provided they were over 22 years old and maintained a presence on the Law School Honor List.

Additionally, the coursework leading up to an LL.B. was also increased to four years’ of study. As a legal education was intended to take no more than seven years, including undergraduate coursework, this provided two main options for prospective students: three years’ undergraduate study with four years’ law,  or four years’ undergraduate study with three years’ law. Either option allowed students the possibility to pursue an LL.B. and/or a J.D., but this curricular structure encouraged the latter to replace the former as the first degree in law.

As these issues show, these new standards were intended to take effect in September 1918. However, with the advent of the war, the Law School found itself in a difficult position, with many of its constituents in the service. In the end, duty to country proved more important than immediate innovation, and the new requirements were postponed until after the war was over.

During the war, enrollment at the Law School sank by approximately one-third, as many students entered the service. Understandably, their absence was felt among those who remained at home and continued with their studies. In an effort to build morale and maintain contact, two newsletters were created and distributed among the Northwestern Law community around the world.

The Pi Epsilon Delta Bugle was started by the men in one of the Law School’s several Greek societies. Edited by the their appointed “Secretary of War,” this newsletter solicited, compiled, and circulated letters from Northwestern Law soldiers around the world—largely fellow brothers, although all were welcome to read and reply. The two issues presented here are the first two of the publication; while others may have followed, these are our only extant copies.

The second newsletter looks deceptively like the first. However, this inconsistently titled  publication, sometimes called Soldiers’ News Letter and sometimes Northwestern University Law School News Letter, was actually a separate project assembled by the Dean’s Office. Although at least one source credits Wigmore in its inception, it seems likely that this production was the responsibility of his secretary, Mary Goodhue. Like the Pi Epsilon Delta Bugle, this newsletter shared updates from the men in the field, as well as highly complementary briefs on Wigmore’s activities.

One especially striking aspect of both publications are the letters written by soldiers who express such eagerness to fight overseas. Several complain of being stuck in training camps or on kitchen duty, while others celebrate receiving their commission to join their peers on the front lines. Of course, others seemed content to remain in safer conditions—as one soldier wrote from Cuba, “We don’t know what we’re here for, and most of us don’t care. We are quite well fed and housed; work very hard – what more should one want in war time?”—these were the exception, not the rule.