4/14/2026

Widener President Stacey Robertson and Dean Todd Clark joined education and government leaders from around the state of Delaware today in announcing plans to relocate the Widener University Delaware Law School campus to the heart of the business and legal district in downtown Wilmington.

Delaware Law School has taken ownership of the building at 1020 North French St., once known as Bracebridge II, in the heart of downtown. We are planning significant renovations to create a beautiful, modern educational space designed to prepare our Delaware Law students for the legal careers and courtrooms of the future.

The current Delaware Law campus was recently listed for sale to help facilitate renovation costs. We anticipate moving into the downtown space during the 2027-28 academic year.

The move will put Delaware Law students, faculty and staff into the epicenter of the First State legal community, known internationally for the strength of its courts and its hub for corporate law. Our new campus will be close to Lawyers Row and in walking distance of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, which houses state courts, the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, which houses federal court, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In short, the school will be steps from the people and organizations that shape Delaware’s legal landscape.

The move will also put Delaware Law’s legal clinics, which provide no-cost, critical legal services across the region, into the heart of Wilmington’s business district.

“This new location will enable our clinics to reach those who need our services most, while fostering meaningful mentoring and community building partnerships with residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods,” Clark said. “Relocating to downtown Wilmington will also enable Delaware Law students to engage more deeply with the surrounding community. Through clinics, externships, pro bono work, and partnerships with courts, nonprofits, and civic organizations, our students will learn by serving—building relationships, addressing real world legal needs, and contributing meaningfully to the life of the city.”

Through this move, the Delaware Law School is playing a key role in The Bridge Project, an innovative educational ecosystem serving families and students birth through graduate school. This project is anchored by The Community Education Building on North French Street, which has served the needs of K-12 students for more than a decade by empowering families, fostering student success and supporting quality schools. Leaders there have partnered with the Longwood Foundation to extend this mission into higher education.

“The University of Delaware and Delaware State University have also taken on space in the Community Education Building a block from our new law building,” Robertson said. “The presidents of those institutions joined us this morning in making the announcement. We are all excited by the opportunities for collaboration.”

Have questions about the move? Read our FAQs:

Where will the new campus be located?

Delaware Law will be located in the building at 1020 North French St., once known as Bracebridge II. It is one block off of Rodney Square in the heart of the business and legal district.

When will the law school move?

We anticipate moving to the new location during the 2027-28 academic year, with plans currently projecting that we start the fall 2027 academic year in the new space.

Why are you moving the law school?

Widener has been presented with a fantastic opportunity to become part of The Bridge Project and all the collaborations that come with it. In doing so, we also gain a new, state-of-the-art home built to educate lawyers of the future, in a location that is central to the heart of Delaware’s legal ecosystem. Law students will be able to engage more deeply with the surrounding community in the city. Through clinics, externships, pro bono work, and partnerships with courts, nonprofits, and civic organizations, our students will learn by serving—building relationships, addressing real world legal needs, and contributing meaningfully to the life of the city.

Does the new location come with parking?

The new building will include approximately 200 on-site parking spaces, with an additional 20 spaces available in an adjacent lot. We are also actively working with partners to secure additional nearby parking and are excited about opportunities to collaborate with local businesses to help meet the parking needs of our community. We are confident we will have ample parking.

What about public transportation? Is that nearby?

Yes! The Wilmington Transit Center, located at Front and Walnut Streets, operates as the transfer location for most DART bus routes in downtown Wilmington. It offers riders a smoke-free covered, seated waiting area, real-time bus displays, ticket sales, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, and bike racks with a bike repair station, plus 90 public parking spaces.

Buses stop at Rodney Square, which is a block from the new law school location.

The Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station in Wilmington provides Amtrak and SEPTA regional rail service via the Wilmington/Newark line to Philadelphia. The station is a major stop connecting Delaware with suburban Pennsylvania and center city Philadelphia and is located at 100 South French St.

Will you continue to offer student housing?

We are excited to be moving downtown, where there are ample housing options and an impressive new apartment project developing right next to our new location. In addition, we are exploring the potential for offering housing options through the law school.

Will nonprofit community organizations that have office space on the current law campus relocate to the new location?

Our nonprofit community partners are important to Delaware Law School and to the entire Delaware community. Delaware Law is proud to be their home and we are very proud that they will have exceptional space in our new facility downtown as well.

With the new campus in an urban setting, will there be any way to connect with the outdoors, for a mental health boost?

Yes! Brandywine Park, which runs alongside the Brandywine River in the heart of the city, is just blocks away. At 178 acres, it is the largest urban park in Delaware and includes a glorious rose garden and Delaware’s only zoo.

There is an energy to the city’s budding cultural scene. Streets around the new location include fantastic restaurants, lively arts and theatre offerings, and the Wilmington Public Library.

The nearby Wilmington Riverfront is home to many popular venues like Constitution Yards, the Blue Rocks minor league baseball stadium, seasonal mini golf and multiple waterfront restaurants.