Nu Beta Epsilon

Nu Beta Epsilon (ΝΒΕ) was an American professional Jewish law fraternity.

History
Nu Beta Epsilon was formed in 1919 at Northwestern University School of Law by Barnet Hodes, with the assistance of Louis Brandeis and Dean Wigmore, as a Greek letter fraternity for Jewish students at accredited law schools. It expanded to other law schools across the United States. It also established an alumni association.

Alpha Kappa Sigma (ΑΚΣ) was a Jewish law fraternity founded by H. Edwin Siff at University of Maryland Law School in 1918. Representatives of the two fraternities met at a convention in Columbus, Ohio in 1939 with Hodes as the keynote speaker. The merger of the two fraternities went into effect in 1940 under the name of the Nu Beta Epsilon group. A. D. G. Cohn of Atlanta was elected as its vice grand chancellor.

Nu Beta Epsilon's quarterly newsletter was The Nu Bete. The fraternity presented three awards each year:


 * Barnet Hodes Awards to an alumnus performing outstanding service to the fraternity on a national level
 * Ben Rubin Endowment to an undergraduate for scholarship, with the trophy going to his chapter
 * National Pledge Essay Award for the best legal essay written by a pledge

Symbols
Nu Beta Epsilon adopted the seal and motto of the former Nu Beta Epsilon fraternity. Its motto was Nomus Carcilia Esta, meaning "Law is king". Its seal or crest included symbols associated with the legal professional.

Governance
The Ground Council of the fraternity's annual national convention governed Nu Beta Epsilon.

Membership
Nu Beta Epsilon was founded as non-sectarian, with no racial membership limitations. Originally male only, its membership became open to women c. 1960. In 1945, it had 850 members. Its membership had grown to 1,750 in 1968.

Chapter List
The chapters of Nu Beta Epsilon were as follows. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.