David A. Clarke School of Law
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The David A. Clarke School of Law is the law school of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). It is the only public law school in Washington, D.C.
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[edit] History
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law evolved from two predecessor schools: the Antioch School of Law and the District of Columbia School of Law. Antioch School of Law was created in 1972 by Edgar S. and Jean Camper Cahn, who championed the rights of low-income people and minorities. The school was also committed to training public interest lawyers and pioneered a comprehensive clinical legal education model adopted now, in small part at least, in nearly every law school in the country.
After Antioch University decided to close 32 of its units around the country in 1986, including the School of Law, the Council of the District of Columbia passed legislation that established the District of Columbia School of Law (DCSL) and that retained Antioch's mission, curriculum, clinical programs, and personnel. The school was awarded provisional ABA accreditation in 1991 and rapidly grew to nearly 300 students.
In 1996, the D.C. Council passed legislation merging the School of Law with the University of the District of Columbia. On April 28, 1998, President Clinton signed legislation re-naming the School of Law. The new University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL) honors the legacy of former D.C. Council Chair David A. Clarke, who was a strong civil rights and humanitarian leader and who ardently advocated for the School of Law's educational, diversity, and public service missions.
In 1998, a new grant of provisional ABA accreditation was awarded to the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, and in 2004, the School of Law applied for full accreditation. The School of Law received full accreditation from the American Bar Association on August 8, 2005, with the unanimous vote of the ABA House of Delegates.
[edit] Mission
Carrying on Antioch's traditions, the new public school of law's statutory missions are:
- to encruit and enroll students from groups underrepresented at the bar,
- provide a well-rounded theoretical and practical legal education that will enable students to be effective and ethical advocates, and
- to represent the legal needs of low-income residents through the school's legal clinics.
[edit] Miscellaneous
The first Sandra Day O'Connor scholarship given by the Association of Women Judges was awarded to a third-year student at the David A. Clarke School of Law in March 2006.
[edit] External Links
| Colleges and Universities in the District of Columbia |
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| American • Catholic • Corcoran • Gallaudet • GWU • Georgetown • Howard • National Defense • SAIS • Southeastern • Strayer • Trinity • UDC |
