The University of Kansas School of Law began in 1878, with one faculty member: Professor James Wood Green, who came to be known as "Uncle Jimmy." The first class, which would graduate in 1880, had five students.

The School of Law's beginnings are marked by a lack of resources and low enrollment. However, while the Board of Regents resisted increasing funding for the program, enrollment continued to gradually increase. In 1881, Green convinced the Board of Regents to promote him to a full-time dean (previously, he had been splitting his time between deanship and teaching) and hire two more professors.

In 1883, the Kansas Bar Association was established, and in 1887, Isaac Francis Bradley became the first African American student to graduate from KU Law. He was followed in 1891 by Ella Weiss Brown, the first female graduate.

Originally a two-year program, KU Law joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1900 and added an additional year of study to their curriculum. During the first half of the 20th century, the School of Law expanded to a new building, hired its first full-time librarian, and hired more professors. In 1907, the University finished constructing Green Hall, which was later renamed to Lippincott Hall and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Alongside the growth of the Law School and changes in professional requirements for lawyers came more stringent requirements for school admission. Before 1904, applicants to the School did not need a high school diploma, but by 1957 the School required prospective students to have a college degree and complete the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

In 1965 the School of Law launched a pilot program for the Defender Project, a legal aid clinic that assisted inmates at local prisons. During the 1965-66 school year, students with the program handled 90 cases, a number that increased sharply in following years.

Planning for a new building for the School of Law had begun as early as 1964; by 1972, "Old" Green Hall could no longer accommodate the number of students in the School. Then-dean James Logan had considered constructing the new "Law Center" in Topeka to be closer to the State Capitol building, but after consultation with other law schools the decision was made to remain in Lawrence. Work on "New" Green Hall began in 1975 and was completed in 1977.

In 1976, the School of Law hired its first African American faculty member, Marilyn Ainsworth Yarbrough. In 1978, students convinced Professor Paul E. Wilson to go on a walk back to Old Green Hall, and the annual "Walk to Old Green Hall" was born. This tradition continues into the present day.

In 1984, the School of Law established its first study abroad program in Vienna, Austria. By 1987, that program had been expanded to include Beijing, China, and KU introduced the London Consortium program, which allowed students to spend a semester studying in London, in collaboration with other law schools across the U.S.

In 1991, the School of Law came under fire after one of its professors was accused of sexual harassment and assault by students. He was fired in 1993 at the recommendation of an investigative committee created to evaluate the allegations.

In 2006, Gail B. Agrawal became the first woman to serve as dean of the School of Law. She held that position until 2010, when she was succeeded by the school's current dean, Stephen W. Mazza.

Today, the School of Law offers four degree programs and eight specialized certificates. In 2022, the University of Kansas was ranked 30th in a list of the top law schools in the United States by Above the Law. It was credited for its strong employment outcomes and the low student debt incurred by its students.

[Information retrieved in part of the School of Law's "History" webpage and timeline, https://law.ku.edu/about/history.]