Sargent Hall Turns 25

When Suffolk University Law School opened its new home in 1999, the school’s leaders weren’t just building classrooms and offices—they were creating a space that would shape legal education for decades to come. Twenty-five years later, David J. Sargent Hall stands as a testament to forward-thinking design that has withstood the test of time.

The 290,000-square-foot facility on Tremont Street officially celebrated its 25th anniversary this month. Its soaring central atrium, with impressive columns and open sightlines across multiple floors, still feels as contemporary as the day it opened.

“When you walk into this building, you immediately understand you’re in a place where serious learning happens,” said William Corbett, JD '75, who served as acting dean during the building’s construction. “Yet it also creates natural spaces for interaction and community.” Corbett was part of a building anniversary panel coordinated by Suffolk University Retired Friends and moderated by John Deliso, JD '72, a former Law School associate dean and a champion of Sargent Hall since its inception.

Building for a purpose

When Suffolk Law outgrew its aging facilities on Beacon Hill’s Temple Street in the 1990s, administrators didn’t just want more room—they sought a building that would elevate the school’s mission while fostering both academic excellence and social interaction.

Paul Sugarman, who served as dean from 1990 to 1994, recognized that the Law School’s space shortage was its most urgent problem and worked closely with then-President Sargent to win approval for the new building.

At the anniversary celebration, Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly led a moment of silence for Sugarman, who passed away last month. His leadership laid the groundwork for what would become Sargent Hall, she said. “Dean Sugarman really believed in the importance of the new building, the importance of having a place that would take Suffolk Law forward into the future,” she noted.

The architectural competition to design the new building drew 70 submissions, with the winning bid coming from Tsoi Kobus, a young firm that had never designed a law school or a major freestanding collegiate building.

“Everybody else came in and gave us their résumé,” explained Professor R. Lisle Baker, who chaired the Building and Space Committee. “Tsoi Kobus was the only group that came in and said, ‘We have done a lot of homework on your building, and we think this is the building for you.’”

A Conductor's Podium 

For faculty members who made the transition from the old facilities, the difference was transformative. Professor Emerita Karen Blum, JD '74, recalled the thrill of teaching in the new classrooms. "Teaching a class here, I felt how [Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor] Andris Nelsons must feel standing up on that podium,” she said. The classrooms feature tiered seating in deep horseshoe configurations, allowing students to see and hear not just the professor but each other as well.

“The old model for classrooms was more like church and pulpit,” Baker explained. “But we wanted the students to be able to interact with each other.”

Creating community within the building

While Suffolk University’s campus consists of multiple buildings across downtown Boston, the architects wanted Sargent Hall to foster the same sense of community typically found in a traditional campus quad.

Robert Adams of Tsoi Kobus explained their approach to creating a “campus-like atmosphere within a single building” through a grand central atrium that provides orientation and a sense of place.

The building has grown to become an integral part of the broader University community. Today, Sargent Hall serves as a multipurpose academic hub where legal, business, and undergraduate disciplines intersect, while maintaining its primary identity as Suffolk Law’s flagship facility.

Technology that empowers

Every classroom was equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, high-definition projection, and robust audio capabilities. George Comeau, BS ’88, MPA ’93, JD ’99, who helped lead the technology implementation, worked with a team creating a touchscreen control system for each classroom.

“You touch a button, and the most amazing thing would happen,” he recalled. “The shades came down, the lights, projector and screen came on, and lo and behold, with one or two buttons, users could bridge any technology gap.”

Courtrooms that impress judges

The building’s three moot courtrooms particularly stand out. One is modeled after a federal appeals court, with additional features including a jury box and deliberation room.

The moot courtrooms have impressed even the most distinguished visitors. According to Professor Blum, former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall once remarked, “This is nicer than the Supreme Judicial Court.” To this day, several courts, including the US Court of Appeals, continue to visit these spaces, hearing real arguments for which Suffolk Law students enjoy a front row seat.

A physical embodiment of values

Today, Sargent Hall offers a fitting metaphor for Suffolk Law itself: a place that values service and innovation and is human-centered. "Sargent Hall was designed to be forward-thinking, and 25 years later, it continues to serve our mission exceptionally well," said Suffolk Law Dean Andrew Perlman. "The building's design reflects our commitment to the kind of practical innovation that has become our hallmark.”

When it opened on September 10, 1999, with keynote addresses by then-Governor Paul Cellucci and US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer (now retired), Sargent Hall marked what Corbett called “one of the most important events in the history of Suffolk Law School.”

The building remains a physical embodiment of the school’s values and aspirations, a space designed to nurture future professionals who understand they’re part of something bigger than themselves, and that service to that larger purpose is critical to the profession they’ve chosen.