 In 1870 the Law School hired Christopher Langdell to be its first dean . Langdell began to institute significant changes in the school , which Washburn for the most part went along with . He finally resigned his professorship in 1876 , and opened a law practice in Cambridge . He was encouraged to run for United States Congress , but refused . He was instead convinced to stand once again for the Massachusetts House , to which he was elected . He died in office on March 18 , 1877 in Cambridge , and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery . 
