Legal Knowledge

Arthur J. Morris Law Library

Legal Knowledge is a podcast about the history of American legal education, told through a close look at the 200-year history of the University of Virginia School of Law. In season one, host Meggan Cashwell and a group of scholars discuss the UVA Law School's first hundred years, from Thomas Jefferson's founding vision in 1819 to coeducation in 1920. In season two, co-hosts Randi Flaherty and Loren Moulds explore transformative episodes in legal education at UVA from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. Legal Knowledge is a production of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library at the University of Virginia. This podcast is based on the library's recently published book, "Legal Education at the University of Virginia: Tradition and Transformation" (UVA Press, 2025).

Episodes

  1. FEB 4

    Constitutional Law at UVA, 1902-1971

    Welcome back to season two of Legal Knowledge! In this episode, UVA Law alumna Catherine Ward and professor emeritus A. E. Dick Howard join us for a behind-the-scenes look at twentieth-century constitutional change on the state level in Virginia, and they set the stage for this transformative period in legal education.

    35 min

  2. 05/03/2023

    Professionalization and Coeducation at UVA Law

    In 1920, the first three women were admitted to the University of Virginia School of Law: Rose May Davis, Catherine Lipop, and Elizabeth Tompkins. Professor Anne Coughlin explores the lived realities of these women, from the small, familiar anxieties about grades and tuition costs, to the bold steps they took to combat gendered notions of inferiority during the early 20th century.

    45 min

  3. 04/26/2023

    The Legal Knowledge of Women in the 19th Century

    Although women were not admitted to UVA Law as students until 1920, their presence on Grounds helped shape the legal curriculum of the 19th century. Professor Laura Edwards discusses the Black and white women who lived and labored at UVA, and the ways in which they navigated the repressive limitations on their legal power.

    42 min

  4. 04/19/2023

    The Civil War and Reconstruction

    During the Civil War and Reconstruction, UVA Law professors promoted Southern nationalism and defended slavery in and outside the classroom. Professor Liz Varon discusses the role of UVA Law in advancing Lost Cause ideology through its curriculum.

    43 min

  5. 04/12/2023

    The Teachings and Legacy of John Barbee Minor

    Professor John Barbee Minor led the Law School from 1845 to his death in 1895. Dr. Randi Flaherty discusses Minor's role in not only expanding the law curriculum and UVA Law's regional prominence, but also in promulgating a curriculum that justified slavery and white supremacy.

    35 min

  6. 04/05/2023

    Teaching the Laws of Slavery

    Slavery was always a part of Thomas Jefferson's vision for the University of Virginia. Professor Justene Hill Edwards discusses the lived experience of slavery on Grounds as well as the intersections of slavery and legal pedagogy at UVA Law.

    46 min

  7. 03/29/2023

    The Jeffersonian Vision for Legal Education

    At its founding in 1819, Thomas Jefferson wanted UVA Law to prepare leaders and lawyers to serve the new nation, but students desired more practical legal training. Professor David Konig joins us to describe the shifting landscape of early nineteenth-century legal education.

    38 min

  8. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Legal Knowledge Podcast Trailer

    Host Meggan Cashwell introduces Legal Knowledge, a podcast that chronicles the history of the Law School at the University of Virginia (UVA).

    3 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Legal Knowledge is a podcast about the history of American legal education, told through a close look at the 200-year history of the University of Virginia School of Law. In season one, host Meggan Cashwell and a group of scholars discuss the UVA Law School's first hundred years, from Thomas Jefferson's founding vision in 1819 to coeducation in 1920. In season two, co-hosts Randi Flaherty and Loren Moulds explore transformative episodes in legal education at UVA from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. Legal Knowledge is a production of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library at the University of Virginia. This podcast is based on the library's recently published book, "Legal Education at the University of Virginia: Tradition and Transformation" (UVA Press, 2025).

Information

  • Creator
    Arthur J. Morris Law Library
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Legal Knowledge