| Lincoln's Inn Society | |
| Crest: | Lincoln's_Inn_Society_logo.png |
| Birthplace: | Harvard Law School |
| Type: | Social club |
| Former Affiliation: | Phi Delta Phi |
| Former Affiliation2: | HL Central |
| Emphasis: | Law |
| Scope: | Local |
| Lifetime: | 3,200+ |
| Address: | 44 Follen Street |
| City: | Cambridge |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Country: | United States |
| Status: | Merged |
Lincoln's Inn Society was a social club based at Harvard Law School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was originally known as Choate Inn of the of Phi Delta Phi. It became a private club when the Harvard faculty voted to ban all fraternities in 1907. Lincoln's Inn Society merged with HL Central in 2007, following declining membership and a lack of funds.
The Lincoln's Inn Society was founded in 1907 by three Harvard Law School students who hoped to find a social organization to provide some relief from the stress of law school. It was originally the Coate Inn of Phi Delta Phi, a legal fraternity that calls its chapters "inns".
Lincoln Inn became a private club when the Harvard faculty voted to ban all fraternities in 1907. The Inn was a student-run and student-owned club, operating beyond university regulation. Lincoln's Inn membership was originally male only but later admitted women.
The society was originally a dinner club and eventually operated as a social and drinking club.[1] The Inn's flagship event was the annual Winter Dinner, a tradition started around 1918. By 1991, some alumni noted that the drinking club was a "defacto speakeasy", baring similarities to the film Animal House.[2]
By 2006, the society's membership had declined, including only fifty students instead of the usual 100 members.[3] As a result, the society was challenged to maintain its house, opting to close its doors to reevaluation its financial status.
In March 2007, Lincoln's Inn Society merged with HL Central, a for-profit organization formed in 1999. However, the society announced that this was only for administrative purposes. Plans were to renovate the society's house and reopen it; however, it was close to foreclosure in 2009 and was sold for $1.1 million. Following this, the society ceased to operate. The Lincoln Inn Society initiated some 3,200 members throughout its history.
The Lincoln Inn's was named for the Lincoln's Inn in London, which is one of the four Inns of Court where English barristers are based.
The Inn's house was a historic three-story Victorian house across the street from the Law School campus at 44 Follen Street. It was in the architectural style of Charles Addams. The society purchased the house in 1947. It was sold in 2009.