State and National Law School

[1] Founded in 1849 by John W. Fowler, the school was one of the first in the country to provide practical training for law students, rather than just academic lectures on legal theories.

"There, students were assembled into mock courtroom scenarios, playing all of the roles witnesses, bailiffs, jurors, and attorneys.

[6] The reasons given for the move as stated by the trustees: "The building in Ballston is old and the rooms are cold, while in Poughkeepsie our accommodations are comfortable and pleasant.

The people of Poughkeepsie furnish, besides these Libraries, adequate funds to place the institution on a high and permanent basis.

[2] The law school closed in 1865 as the result of declining enrollment caused by potential students joining the military during the American Civil War.