In 1897, the Law Student League was formed whose members sought exemption from the provisions of “Rule 39” which required all candidates for admission to the Bar to be graduates of high school, followed by three years of legal study and successfully pass the bar exam. They sought modification to exclude those who began the study of law before the adoption of this rule.

The following year, Lambda Epsilon Law Fraternity was established from that league and Kent Chapter at Kent College of Law in Chicago became the first Chapter. In 1902, Lambda Epsilon was dissolved but its structure provided the groundwork for The Articles of South Haven, the plan of organization for Phi Alpha Delta which was established on Founder’s Day on November 8, 1902.