The Order of the Coif () is an American honor society for law school graduates. The Order was founded in 1902 at the University of Illinois College of Law. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of trial lawyers, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, which came to be represented by a round piece of white lace worn on top of the advocate's wig. A student who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top ten percent of their class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the Order.

History

frame|Medieval coif as worn by Aaron of Sur, 1500-1550

The University of Illinois College of Law established what would become the Order of the Coif in 1902. According to the organization's constitution, "The purpose of The Order is to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as law students attained a high grade of scholarship, and honoring those who as lawyers, judges and teachers attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments."

By 1962, the society had 48 chapters and 13,061 living members. As of 2025, it has 87 chapters and 25,000 initiates. It is headquartered in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Membership

The induction process varies by law school, but students are generally notified of their membership after the final class ranks at their schools are announced. The basic requirement for membership is ranking in the top ten percent of a member school's graduating class. If a member law school graduates fewer than thirty students, it may induct its top three students. A school can decide not to allow an otherwise eligible student to receive the honor and may impose additional requirements for membership beyond the organization's national requirement of being in the top ten percent of the class.

Each member school may also induct a faculty member and one honorary member each year. The national organization's executive committee may also elect a limited number of honorary members. Those chosen for honorary membership are usually U.S. Supreme Court justices and other preeminent members of the legal profession.

Chapters

As of 2022, 87 of 203 United States law schools accredited by the American Bar Association to award the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree had Order of the Coif chapters.

Notable members

See also

  • Honor society
  • Professional fraternities and sororities

Notes

References

Further reading

  • Michael Herz, Coif Comes to Cardozo, (Spring 1999) (includes information on the order's history).
  • Frank R. Strong, Order of the Coif: English Antecedents and American Adaptation, 63 A.B.A. J. 1725-1727 (1977).