Tapping Reeve Law School — Litchfield, Connecticut
History on the Green - Litchfield Connecticut - 
In 1784, attorney and jurist Tapping Reeve built this modest one-room schoolhouse beside his Litchfield home to accommodate the growing number of students seeking his legal instruction. Recognized as the first formal law school in the United States, the Litchfield Law School replaced the traditional apprenticeship approach with organized lectures, examinations and moot-court exercises. Reeve was joined by former student James Gould in 1798, and the school continued until 1833. Over its history, more than 1,000 young men studied under Reeve and Gould, with alumni going on to serve as U.S. vice presidents, Supreme Court justices, senators, governors and other leaders of the young nation. Today, the little schoolhouse remains in Litchfield as a remarkable reminder of the town's important role in the development of American legal education.