Lawyers

Rawle & Henderson, from Philadelphia, Oldest Law Firm in the Country
Download PDF
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

The law firm of Rawle & Henderson, which started seven years after the birth of the United States in Philadelphia, is the oldest firm in the country, according to The ABA Journal. The law firm of Howard, Kohn, Sprague & Fitzgerald, from Hartford, Connecticut, also claims to be one of the oldest in the country.

On the firm’s website, it is described as “the oldest law firm in continuous practice in the United States.” The firm was founded in 1786 as Enoch Perkins, which makes it just 228 years old. Rawle & Henderson is 231 years old.

  
What
Where


Up until the year 1930, there were five generations of Rawles working at the Philadelphia firm. One of them was Francis Rawle, who was a founder of the American Bar Association. The initial meeting of the ABA was in August of 1878 in Saratoga Springs, New York. During the meeting, they realized they forgot to bring a gavel. They went to a local hardware store to get a carpenter’s mallet. The mallet, in silver and gold, is the ABA symbol today.

Joseph Henderson joined the firm in 1913 and then became a president of the ABA.

Thomas A. Kuzmick is a Rawle & Henderson partner. He said that the firm endured some rough years in the 1990s. He also said that, “No way in hell we’re going to allow Rawle & Henderson to close on our watch.” In 1997, “we embarked on creating what you see today—120 attorneys spread over five states.”

Get JD Journal in Your Mail

Subscribe to our FREE daily news alerts and get the latest updates on the most happening events in the legal, business, and celebrity world. You also get your daily dose of humor and entertainment!!




There are three offices for the firm in Pennsylvania. They are located in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The firm also has offices in New York, Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia.

“You need to be thought of first by your clients or potential clients as being in a niche,” Kuzmick says. “Our niche has been being trial lawyers on the defense side.”



U.S. Senator Arlen Specter created a resolution in 2008, the 225th anniversary of the firm, honoring the firm as one of the oldest in the country. The resolution stated that the firm is “a firm of national distinction whose reputation is based on the noble accomplishments of its founders and its commitment to providing quality legal services.”



 

RELEVANT JOBS

Associate Attorney

USA-PA-Exton

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immediate opening for an ex...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Sturgis

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Coldwater

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Deputy General Counsel / Senior Deputy General Counsel

USA-CA-Sacramento

Cal Cities Culture and Mission Cal Cities is dedicated to creating a collaborative and inclusive ...

Apply now

BCG FEATURED JOB

Locations:

Keyword:



Search Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with ...

Apply Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with 4-...

Apply Now

Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law and public ent...

Apply Now

Most Popular

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

To Top