Yale Law School – Sterling Law Building

Overview of the Sterling Law Building

The Sterling Law Building at Yale Law School was constructed between 1929 and 1931 and designed by prominent architect James Gamble Rogers in the Collegiate Gothic style, drawing inspiration from the English Inns of Court. It occupies an entire city block in downtown New Haven and is richly adorned with stone sculptures, wood carvings and stained-glass medallions that symbolise the legal process and figures of justice. The building is named after alumnus and benefactor John William Sterling, a Yale graduate and law-firm founding partner, whose legacy continues in the law school’s primary home.

Then-and-Now at the Sterling Law Building

In the below, the view on the left is what appears in one of the postcards from the collection, and the view on the right is a photo taken of the same camera angle in 2025.  Use the slider to see how these views compare more than a century apart!

Then Now

Postcard Views of the Sterling Law Building

Click or tap any of the postcard photos in the below gallery to zoom-in and explore further.

Front and Back of the Sterling Law Building Postcards

Mouse-over or tap any of the below postcards to see what the other side looks like!