A city steeped in American history and in legal history, Philadelphia is an especially great place to learn the law.

The second largest city on the East Coast, Philadelphia is the headquarters for some of the largest law firms in the U.S., as well as Fortune 500 companies, universities, hospitals and federal, state and municipal courts.

It was the home of colonial American attorney Andrew Hamilton, who became known as The Philadelphia Lawyer after traveling to New York to defend a newspaper publisher imprisoned for more than a year on libel charges. Using a novel doctrine to make his case, Hamilton was so persuasive that the jury took just 10 minutes to acquit the publisher and affirm the freedom of the press.

The Philadelphia Bar Association and the Jenkins Law Library, both founded in 1802, are respectively the nation’s first chartered metropolitan bar organization and oldest repository of legal resources.

Today, Philadelphia’s legal community retains its reputation for excellence.

Many members of this diverse and accomplished legal community, bound together by a powerful bar association, serve as partners in our Co-op, Clinic and Pro Bono programs, mentoring our students and hiring our graduates.