| David A. Clarke School of Law | |
| Motto | jus justitia communitas |
|---|---|
| Established | 1986 |
| School type | Public |
| Endowment | US$ 20.5 million[1] |
| Dean | |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Enrollment | 650 |
| Faculty | |
| USNWR ranking | Tier 4[2] |
| Bar pass rate | 83% |
| Annual tuition | 7,000 USD 14,000 USD |
The David A. Clarke School of Law is the law school of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). It is Washington, D.C.'s only public law school.
Contents |
The 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 were instrumental in creating the federal Legal Services Corporation and who, generally, championed the rights of low-income people and minorities. The School was also committed to training public interest lawyers and pioneered a comprehensive law clinic education model adopted now, in small part at least, in nearly every law school in the country.
After Antioch University decided to close many of its units around the country, in 1986 the Council of the District of Columbia passed legislation that established the District of Columbia School of Law (DCSL) to retain Antioch School of Law's mission, curriculum, clinical programs, and personnel for the benefit of the District of Columbia. The School was awarded provisional American Bar Association accreditation in 1991 and rapidly grew to nearly 300 students.
In 1996, the Council of the District of Columbia 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) is named after former D.C. Council Chair David A. Clarke, a 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 ABA accreditation on August 8, 2005 with a unanimous vote of the ABA House of Delegates.
Carrying on Antioch's traditions, the new public school of law's statutory missions are:
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.
The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL) is one of the nation's most outstanding law schools, according to The Princeton Review.[3]
UDC-DCSL is one of 67 schools in the book (39% of the 172) that appear on one or more of the book's top-ten ranking lists. It is 2nd on the list for Most Liberal Students, 4th for Most Diverse Faculty, and 10th for Best Environment for Minority Students. Only six law schools had more top ten rankings than UDC-DCSL, whose three listings tied six other law schools.[4]
According to the Princeton Review:
The small David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia is one of a handful of ABA-accredited law schools at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. By all accounts, UDC is "a great bargain.” It’s "dirt cheap” if you are a resident of Washington, D.C. Even if you aren’t, it’s still remarkably affordable since "the school now has a scholarship program that offers free tuition to 20 activists.” Otherwise, the two pillars that set UDC apart are its "all-consuming” "commitment to public interest law” and its stellar clinical program. This school was founded with the mission to train students from groups underrepresented at the bar and it remains "committed to social justice and advocacy through the law.” Students agree that UDC is "a law school with a conscience” and that they will graduate with "a strong sense of public service and how to serve their communities as lawyers.” The clinical program goes hand in hand with this ethos. Under the supervision of a practicing attorney, all students must complete 700 hours of "hands-on work” assisting low-income clients with substantive, real legal issues before they graduate. "Our clinical experience is like none other,” a 3L boasts. Students gush that they learn skills "that you just cannot learn from casebooks” and they tell us that the clinical requirement provides the expertise necessary "to start practicing law immediately.” "You will have experiences that many first-level associates can only dream of having,” a 2L promises.[5]
Princeton Review continues:
The employment situation for UDC graduates is unique, primarily because it stresses public service so much. The administration and a tremendous number of the students who enroll here want to provide access to the legal system to people who don’t have much money. A very solid percentage of graduates obtain judicial clerkships. Graduates also find jobs at small law firms, with the federal government, and with nonprofit organizations of all sizes. Older UDC alumni have gone on to become judges in a host of states. Ultimately, if you want to start out as a public defender, or work for a federal agency or a public interest organization, UDC is an ideal law school.[6]
According to Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior VP-Publishing,
"We are pleased to recommend UDC-DCSL to readers of our book and users of our website as one of the best institutions they could attend to earn a law school degree. We chose the 172 schools for this book based on our high opinion of their academic programs and offerings, as well as our review of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also strongly consider the candid opinions of students attending the schools who rate and report on their campus experiences at their schools on our student survey for the book."[7]
|
|||||||||||