Choate Club (Harvard Law School)

The Choate Club was founded at the Harvard Law School in 1887 as a chapter of Phi Delta Phi, a law-school fraternity. It is unclear if or when ties with the fraternity were severed. The Club was in existence until about 1918, when it became dormant due to the war; the Club was revived by old members circa 1934. The Club appears to have been a secret society composed of Law School students and professors, with a focus on social and intellectual stimulation outside of the law. Monthly meetings, which included cocktails and an informal dinner, featured guest speakers who were encouraged to speak on any non-legal topic. Speakers were frequently prominent politicians, writers, and scientists.

From the description of Records of the Choate Club, 1955-1967. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 656153351

The Choate Club was founded at the Harvard Law School in 1887 as a chapter (or inn) of the Phi Delta Phi, a law-school fraternity. It is unclear if or when ties with the fraternity were severed. The Club was in existence until about 1918, when it became dormant due to World War I; the Club was revived by old members circa 1934.

In its later years, the Club appears to have been a secret society composed of Law School students and professors, with a focus on social and intellectual stimulation outside of study of the law. Monthly meetings at the Signet Society, which included cocktails and an informal dinner, featured guest speakers who were encouraged to speak on any non-legal topic, including discussions of current events or philosophical musings. Speakers were frequently prominent politicians, writers, and scientists.

The Club should not be confused with the Choate Law Club, one of many Law School clubs that competed in the Ames Competition in Appellate Brief Writing and Advocacy.

From the guide to the Records of the Choate Club, 1955-1967, (Harvard University Archives)