George Washington University Law School

The George Washington University Law School
Parent school George Washington University
Established 1865[1]
School type Private
Dean Blake Morant [2]
Location Washington, DC, USA
Enrollment 1,807[3]
Faculty 281[3]
USNWR ranking 20[4]
Website www.law.gwu.edu

The George Washington University Law School, commonly referred to as GW Law, is the law school of The George Washington University. Originally founded in the 1820s, GW Law is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C.[5]

The school was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923[6] and was a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.[7] It is located on the main campus of The George Washington University at the corner of 20th and H Streets in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.[8]

According to GW Law's 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 62.8% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required, non-school funded employment nine months after graduation.[9]

History

The George Washington University Law School was founded in the 1820s but closed in 1826 due to low enrollment.[5] The law school was reestablished in 1865 and was the first law school in the District of Columbia.[5]

Law classes resumed in 1865 in the Old Trinity Episcopal Church and the school graduated its first class of 60 students in 1867.[1] The Master of Laws degree program was adopted by the school in 1897.[1] In 1900, the school was one of the founding members of the Association of American Law Schools.[1] In 1954, it merged with National University School of Law of Washington.[1]

Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, William Strong, David J. Brewer, Willis Van Devanter and John Marshall Harlan were among those who served on its faculty.[10][11] Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Antonin Scalia, and Justice Elena Kagan presided over its moot court in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2012 respectively.[12][13][14]

National University School of Law

The National University School of Law was merged into the George Washington University School of Law in 1954.[15] The school was founded in 1869.[16] Many alumni served in prominent political and legal positions throughout the school's history.

Academics

Curriculum

J.D. students are required to take courses on civil procedure, criminal law, constitutional law, contracts, introduction to advocacy, legal research and writing, professional responsibility and ethics, property, and torts.[17]

GW Law offers more than 275 elective courses each year.[18] The school boasts particularly robust offerings in business and finance law, environmental law, government procurement law, intellectual property law, international comparative law, litigation and dispute resolution, and national security and U.S. foreign relations law.[19]

Degrees Offered

In addition to the juris doctor degree, GW Law offers the following joint degrees:[20]

The school also offers Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Environmental Law, Business and Finance Law, International Environmental Law, Government Procurement and Environmental Law, Intellectual Property Law, International and Comparative Law, Government Procurement Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law.[8] The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is offered to a very limited number of candidates.[21]

Student Recognition

Instead of supplying students with individual class rankings, GW Law recognizes academic performance with two scholar designations.[22] The top 1%-15% of the class is designated George Washington Scholars while the top 16%-35% of the class is designated Thurgood Marshall Scholars.[22]

Publications

GW Law publishes eight journals:[23]

Student Life

With more than 1,600 J.D. students enrolled in the 2013-2014 academic year, GW Law had the fifth largest J.D. enrollment of all ABA-accredited law schools.[24]

In the 2013-2014 academic year, 25.2% of GW Law students were minorities and 46.2% were female.[3]

Students enrolled in the J.D. program come from 206 colleges and 11 countries.[25] The Law School also enrolls students from approximately 45 countries each year in its Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degree programs.[26]

GW Law students can participate in 60 student groups.[27]

Campus

Lerner Hall, Stockton Hall, and the Burns Law Library, with the IMF seen in the background.

GW Law is located in the heart of Washington's Foggy Bottom neighborhood, across the street from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund headquarters, and a few blocks away from the State Department and the White House.[28]

The Jacob Burns Law Library holds a collection of more than 700,000 volumes.[29]

In 2000, the law school began a major building and renovation plan. The school has expanded into buildings on the east side of the University Yard.

The Law School currently occupies nine buildings on the main campus of The George Washington University. The Law School's main complex comprises five buildings anchored by Stockton Hall (1924) located on the University Yard, the central open space of GW's urban campus. Renovated extensively between 2001 and 2003, these buildings adjoin one another, have internal passageways, and function as one consolidated complex. Three townhouses directly across from the main complex house the Community Legal Clinics, Student Bar Association, and student journal offices.

Admissions

GW Law received 6,543 applications in 2013, the second highest total for all ABA-approved law schools.[30] GW Law had a 44% acceptance rate and had a matriculation rate of 18% in 2013.[30]

The median LSAT score for incoming GW Law students in 2013 was 165 (top 91.5th percentile[31]) and the median GPA was 3.71.[30]

In order to apply for the J.D. program, must have taken in the LSAT within the past five years and must submit a personal statement and at least one letter of recommendation.[32] Applications are considered on a rolling basis starting in October and must be submitted by March 1.[32]

Post-graduation employment

According to GW Law's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 62.8% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required, non-school funded employment nine months after graduation.[9] GW Law ranked 62nd out of the 201 ABA-approved law schools in terms of the percentage of 2013 graduates with non-school-funded, full-time, long-term, bar passage required jobs nine months after graduation.[33]

GW Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 8.6%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation, and an additional 14.6% were in school-funded jobs.[34] 93.7% of the Class of 2013 was employed in some capacity, 0.3% were pursuing a graduate degree, and 5.8% were unemployed.[9]

The main employment destinations for 2013 GW Law graduates were Washington, D.C., New York, and Virginia.[9]

ABA Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates[35]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required (Full-Time, Long-Term)
  
 77.78%
Employed - Bar Passage Required (Part-Time and/or Short-Term)
  
 1.66%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
  
 12.11%
Employed - Professional Position
  
 1.99%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
  
 0.17%
Employed - Undeterminable
  
 0.0%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
  
 0.33%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
  
 0.17%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
  
 0.66%
Unemployed - Seeking
  
 4.98%
Employment Status Unknown
  
 0.17%
Total of 603 Graduates

Costs

The total cost of full-time attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at GW Law for the 2014-2015 academic year is $78,040.[36] GW Law's tuition and fees on average increased by 4.24% annually over the past five years.[37]

The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $298,885.[37] The average indebtedness of the 76% of 2013 GW Law graduates who took out loans was $123,693.[38]

Rankings

GW Law is ranked 20th in the 2014 Law School Rankings of U.S. News & World Report and its part-time J.D. program is ranked second.[4] The school is ranked third in intellectual property law, sixth in international law, and 11th in environmental law.[4]

The National Law Journal ranked GW Law 21st in its 2014 Go-To Law Schools list, a ranking of which law schools sent the highest percentage of new graduates to NLJ 250 law firms.[39] GW Law came in 29th in Above The Law's 2014 law school rankings.[40]

GW Law ranked 62nd out of the 201 ABA-approved law schools in terms of the percentage of 2013 graduates with non-school-funded, full-time, long-term, bar passage required jobs nine months after graduation.[33]

According to Brian Leiter's law school rankings, GW Law ranked 17th in the nation for Supreme Court Clerkship Placement between 2003 and 2013,[41] 19th in terms of student numerical quality,[42] and 16th for law faculties with the most “scholarly impact” as measured by numbers of citations.[43]

Notable alumni

Class of 1891

Academia

Business

Sports

Government and politics

U.S. Congress members

Other federal officials

State and local government

International

Judiciary

Federal

State

Lawyers

Media

Military

Non-profits

Religion

Notable faculty

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "History". GW Law. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Message from the Dean". GW Law. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Section of Legal Education - ABA Required Disclosures". American Bar Association. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "George Washington University". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Showing Our Strengths: The History and Future of GW Law". GW Law. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Alphabetical School List". American Bar Association. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Member and Fee-Paid Schools". The Association of American Law Schools. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 "GW Law at a Glance". GW Law. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates" (PDF). GW Law. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Probing the Law School’s Past: 1821-1962". The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  11. ↑ Kwiecinski, Matthew. "Supreme Court justice joins faculty". GW Hatchet. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  12. ↑ Butler, Brandon. "Roberts judges moot court competition". The GW Hatchet. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Moot Court Competition". C-SPAN. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Kagan rules in annual moot court competition". The GW Hatchet. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Law School: Legal Education in America from the 1850s to the 1980s - Robert Bocking Stevens - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  16. ↑ "National University - GW Encyclopedia". Encyclopedia.gwu.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  17. ↑ "Required J.D. Curriculum". GW Law. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "Curriculum Overview". GW Law. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Academic Focus Areas". GW Law. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "Joint Degree Programs". GW Law. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "S.J.D. Admissions". GW Law. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Academic Recognition and Grade Representation Policy". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Publications". GW Law. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Fall 2013 JD and Non-JD Enrollment". American Bar Association. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "Welcome New Students". GW Law. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  26. ↑ "Admissions". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "Students Organizations". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  28. ↑ "DC & GW". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  29. ↑ "Jacob Burns Law Library". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  30. 1 2 3 "Fall 2013 1L Enrollment". American Bar Association. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  31. ↑ "LSAT Percentiles Table". Cambridge LSAT. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  32. 1 2 "J.D. Admissions Requirements". GW Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  33. 1 2 Leichter, Matt. "Class of 2013 Employment Report". The Law School Tuition Bubble. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  34. ↑ "George Washington University Profile". Law School Transparency. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  35. ↑ "Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates" (PDF).
  36. ↑ "Financial Aid General Information 2014-2015". GW Law. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  37. 1 2 "George Washington University Profile, Costs". Law School Transparency. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  38. ↑ "Which law school graduates have the most debt?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  39. ↑ "Explore the Data Behind the Go-To Law Schools". National Law Journal. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  40. ↑ "The Rankings". Above The Law. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  41. ↑ "Supreme Court Clerkship Placement, 2003 Through 2013, 2013". Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  42. ↑ "2010 Ranking of Student Bodies By Numerical Quality". Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  43. ↑ "Top 70 Law Faculties In Scholarly Impact, 2007-2011". Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  44. ↑ "Honoring a Legacy of Excellence". GW Law. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  45. 1 2 3 4 "Prominent Alumni by School: Law School". The George Washington University. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  46. ↑ "Morris Lecture on Feb. 19 will feature attorney Charles James". Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  47. ↑ "Ron Ricks". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  48. ↑ "Bruce Sewell". Apple. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  49. ↑ "Symantec's Legal Firewall". The Recorder. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  50. ↑ "Edwin M. Durso". ESPN Media Zone. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  51. ↑ "NFL Senior Vice President Gary Gertzog Joins Sports E-Commerce Leader Fanatics As EVP, Business Affairs". Fanatics Inc. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  52. ↑ McKelvey, G. Richard (2000). The MacPhails: Baseball's First Family of the Front Office. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 2. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  53. ↑ Biography at the University of Chicago
  54. ↑ Brown, Emma (2011-03-21). "Frank Neuhauser, winner of first national spelling bee, dies at 97". Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
  55. ↑ "Major General Vaughn A. Ary". Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 14 Oct 2013.

External links

Coordinates: 38°53′56″N 77°02′42″W / 38.8988°N 77.045°W / 38.8988; -77.045

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