Iowa Law, dubbed the oldest law school west of the Mississippi, opened its doors in Des Moines in 1865 before settling in Iowa City three years later as the University of Iowa College of Law.

Now, the 150-year-old institution is honoring its history with a new exhibit.

The Iowa Law exhibit is located in the Old Capitol Museum in the Keyes Gallery for Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, and will run through Aug. 2.

Featuring law-school photos, artifacts, and information on Iowa Law’s “famous firsts,” the exhibit celebrates the school’s sesquicentennial and future, said Noëlle Sinclair, the head of Special Collections in the UI Law Library.

“The law school’s history is so fascinating because of the people,” Sinclair said. “The exhibit is just a small sample of the amazing accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. It’s a chance for us to pause and celebrate not just the past 150 years, but the next 150 years. For those who may not be very familiar with the law school, it is a chance to learn a bit more.”

The exhibit will tell the story of the founding of the law school. It will also include displays on the various homes of the school, stories about faculty and students, the Law Library, sample questions from the bar exam, and a display of juridical Daumier prints from the UI Art Museum.

Visitors are welcome between 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursdays, and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.

— by Claire Dietz

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