page_title: Drake University Law School
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Drake University Law School / History
caption_attribution_description: Portrait in History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century
context_page_description: Drake University Law School is a fully accredited law school of Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has over 330 full-time students. The school is led by Dean Jerry Anderson. Founded in 1865, Drake Law School is one of the 25 oldest law schools in the country. The Law School was established by Iowa Supreme Court justices George Wright and Chester Cole, who aimed to teach law in proximity to the courts so students could witness the law in action. Drake Law School's curriculum includes the nation's only First-Year Trial Practicum. In 2020, the American Bar Association ranked Drake the 7th best competition school in the nation. In 2020, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Drake Law School as the 105th best overall law school in the nation.
context_section_description: Established in 1865 by Chester C. Cole, a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, Drake Law is one of the 25 oldest law schools in the country and the second law school founded west of the Mississippi River after the University of Iowa, which Justice Cole co-founded with Justice George G. Wright. Justice Cole felt that having a law school located in the state capital would be advantageous. In time, Drake Law alumni would fill the ranks of all branches of Iowa local and state government.
caption: Founder Justice Chester C. Cole
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