Our History
New England Law | Boston began in 1908 as Portia Law School, which offered a legal education exclusively to women at a time when most other institutions would not accept them at all. The early Portia Law School students were primarily from working-class and immigrant families, and many had only a high school education since the state did not require a college degree to study law. For decades, most of the women admitted to the Massachusetts bar were Portia graduates.
There have been many dramatic changes over the past century, including new and updated physical facilities, name changes, a diverse student body of both men and women, and a curriculum that has expanded to include global issues. Through it all, the school has stayed true to its core value: a commitment to offering an excellent foundation for a legal career to those who seek opportunity for themselves and are willing to work for it.
