George Washington University Law School Explained

George Washington University
Law School
Parent:George Washington University
Established:1865[1]
Type:Private
Parent Endowment:$2.8 billion
City:Washington, D.C.
Country:U.S.
Dean:Dayna Bowen Matthew[2]
Students:1,646 (2016)[3]
Faculty:371 (2016)
Acceptance Rate:34%[4]
Ranking:41st (2024)[5]
Bar Pass Rate:97.19%[6]
Aba Profile:Standard 509 Report

The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest law school in the national capital.[7] [8] GW Law has 275 elective courses 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.[9] [10]

GW Law has an alumni network that includes notable people within the fields of law and government, including the former U.S. Attorney General, the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, foreign heads of state, judges of the International Court of Justice, ministers of foreign affairs, a Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, a Director of the CIA, members of U.S. Congress, U.S. State Governors, four Directors of the FBI, and numerous Federal judges.

History

19th century

The George Washington University Law School was founded in the 1820s but closed in 1826 due to low enrollment. The law school's first two professors were William Cranch, chief justice of the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia and second reporter of the U.S. Supreme Court, and William Thomas Carroll, a descendant of Charles Carroll the Settler and clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1827 until his death in 1863.[11] The law school was reestablished in 1865 and was the first law school in the District of Columbia.

Law classes resumed in 1865 in the Old Trinity Episcopal Church, and the school graduated its first class of 60 students in 1867. The Master of Laws degree program was adopted by the school in 1897.

20th century

In 1900, the school was one of the founding members of the Association of American Law Schools.

GW Law has the oldest intellectual property program in the country, with alumni having written patents for some of the greatest technological achievements of the past 130 years, including the Wright brothers' flying machine, patented on May 22, 1906.[12]

The school was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923[13] and was a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.[14]

In 1954, it merged with National University School of Law. The law school operated under the name National Law Center for the 37 years from 1959 to 1996, when it was renamed George Washington University Law School.[15]

21st century

Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, William Strong, David J. Brewer, Willis Van Devanter, and John Marshall Harlan are among those who served on its faculty.[16] [17]

Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Samuel Alito presided over its moot court in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2016.[18] [19] [20] In 2024, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will preside over the 2024 Van Vleck Moot Court Competition.

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.[21]

GW Law offers more than 275 elective courses each year.[22] The school offers 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.

GW Law also offers numerous summer programs, including a joint program with the University of Oxford for the study of international human rights law at New College, Oxford each July.[23]

Degrees offered

In addition to the Juris Doctor degree, GW Law offers the following joint degrees:[24]

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.[25] The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is offered to a very limited number of candidates.[26]

Student recognition

Instead of supplying students with individual class rankings, GW Law recognizes academic performance with two scholar designations.[27] 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.

Publications

GW Law publishes nine journals:[28]

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.[29]

In the 2013–2014 academic year, 25.2% of GW Law students were minorities and 46.2% were female.[30]

Students enrolled in the J.D. program come from 206 colleges and 11 countries.[31] The law school also enrolls students from approximately 45 countries each year in its Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degree programs.[32]

GW Law students can participate in 60 student groups.[33]

Campus

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.[34]

The Jacob Burns Law Library holds a collection of more than 700,000 volumes.[35]

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

For the class entering in the fall of 2019, 2,488 out of 8,019 J.D. applicants (31%) were offered admission, with 489 matriculating. The 25th and 75th LSAT percentiles for the 2019 full-time entering class were 160 and 167, respectively, with a median of 166 (93rd percentile[36]).[37] The 25th and 75th undergraduate GPA percentiles were 3.40 and 3.84, respectively, with a median of 3.74.[38] In the 2018–19 academic year, GW Law had 1,525 J.D. students, of which 25% were minorities and 51% were female.

In order to apply for the J.D. program, students must have taken the LSAT within the past five years and must submit a personal statement and at least one letter of recommendation.[39] The GRE is also accepted instead of the LSAT. An applicant with scores for both the GRE and LSAT will have its LSAT score reviewed. Applications are considered on a rolling basis starting in October and must be submitted by March 1.

Rankings and reputation

In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranks GW Law as the 41st top law school out of 196 in the United States.[40] In 2014, the National Law Journal ranked GW Law 21st for law schools that sent the highest percentage of new graduates to NLJ 250 law firms, the largest and most prominent law practices in the U.S.[41]

In 2020, GW was ranked as the 11th best moot court program in the country and regularly hosts a U.S. Supreme Court justice on its three-judge panel.[42]

According to Brian Leiter's law school rankings, GW Law ranked 17th in the nation for Supreme Court clerkship placement between 2003 and 2013,[43] 19th in terms of student numerical quality,[44] and 16th for law faculties with the most "scholarly impact" as measured by numbers of citations.[45]

GW Law has placed 27 clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court in its history, including in the 1930s Francis R. Kirkham, later partner at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in San Francisco and then general counsel to Standard Oil of California, and Reynolds Robertson, who worked for Cravath, deGersdorff, Swaine & Wood in New York City, both co-authors of a seminal work on the Court's jurisdiction.[46] [47] [48]

Post-graduation employment

According to GW Law's official 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 73.6% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required, non-school funded employment ten months after graduation.[49]

GW Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 12.1%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2019 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job ten months after graduation.[50] 0.6% of graduates were in school-funded jobs. 89.5% of the Class of 2019 was employed in some capacity, 1.4% were pursuing a graduate degree, and 6.8% were unemployed and seeking employment.

The main employment destinations for 2019 GW Law graduates were Washington, D.C., New York City, and Virginia.

Costs

The total cost of full-time attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at GW Law for the 2018-2019 academic year was $88,340.[51] GW Law's tuition and fees on average increased by 4.1% annually over the past five years.[52]

The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $328,263. The average indebtedness of the 76% of 2013 GW Law graduates who took out loans was $123,693.[53]

Notable people

See main article: List of George Washington University Law School alumni.

Notable faculty

Notable faculty members include:

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: History . GW Law . July 14, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150717153556/http://www.law.gwu.edu/School/Pages/History.aspx . July 17, 2015 .
  2. Web site: GW Names New Law Dean. GW Law. February 19, 2020.
  3. Web site: George Washington University – 2016 Standard 509 Information Report. July 6, 2016. May 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160517123048/https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/www.law.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Standard_509_Report.pdf. live.
  4. Web site: 2020 Law School Rankings - Acceptance Rate (Low to High). September 22, 2021. September 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210922014445/https://www.ilrg.com/rankings/law/index/1/asc/Accept. live.
  5. Web site: George Washington University . U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Schools . April 10, 2024 .
  6. Web site: Archived copy . March 28, 2023 . February 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230226011708/https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5421/files/downloads/ConsumerBarPassage.pdf-31-31-04-13-2021%2014-28-56.pdf . live .
  7. Web site: Showing Our Strengths: The History and Future of GW Law. GW Law. July 14, 2014. July 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225817/http://www.gwu.edu/~magazine/archive/2004_law_fall/docs/feat_exhibit.html. live.
  8. Web site: USNews – Best Law Schools. March 23, 2018. March 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316092157/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/george-washington-university-03031. live.
  9. Web site: Academic Focus Areas. GW Law. July 15, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140716061134/http://www.law.gwu.edu/ACADEMICS/FOCUSAREAS/Pages/Default.aspx. July 16, 2014.
  10. Web site: Why GW Law?. July 3, 2020. www.law.gwu.edu. en. June 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621032006/https://www.law.gwu.edu/why-gw-law. live.
  11. Web site: A Legal Miscellanea. January 7, 2017. December 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220083348/http://alegalmiscellanea.com/a-selective-history-of-gw-laws-library-with-emphasis-on-its-earlier-years-draft/. live.
  12. Web site: Showing Our Strengths. January 7, 2017. November 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161121083948/https://www2.gwu.edu/~magazine/archive/2004_law_fall/docs/feat_exhibit.html. live.
  13. Web site: Alphabetical School List. American Bar Association. July 14, 2014. February 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150223200111/http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/aba_approved_law_schools/in_alphabetical_order.html. live.
  14. Web site: Member and Fee-Paid Schools. The Association of American Law Schools. July 14, 2014. July 17, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120717014748/http://www.aals.org/about_memberschools.php. dead.
  15. Web site: GW Law: 150 Years of Making History, pp.12–13. September 24, 2015 . June 11, 2018. July 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200711164303/https://issuu.com/gwlawpubs/docs/gwlaw6145_fall_2015_final_2. live.
  16. Web site: Probing the Law School's Past: 1821–1962. The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. July 14, 2014. October 20, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141020220905/http://encyclopedia.gwu.edu/index.php?title=Probing_the_Law_School%E2%80%99s_Past:_1821-1962. live.
  17. Web site: Kwiecinski. Matthew. Supreme Court justice joins faculty. September 8, 2011 . GW Hatchet. July 14, 2014. October 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141021001912/http://www.gwhatchet.com/2011/09/08/supreme-court-justice-joins-faculty/. live.
  18. Web site: Butler. Brandon. Roberts judges moot court competition. February 13, 2006 . The GW Hatchet. July 14, 2014. July 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150723220828/http://www.gwhatchet.com/2006/02/13/roberts-judges-moot-court-competition/. live.
  19. Web site: Moot Court Competition. C-SPAN. July 14, 2014. November 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131102215843/http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/191127-1. live.
  20. Web site: Kagan rules in annual moot court competition. February 2, 2012 . The GW Hatchet. July 14, 2014. February 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120208075201/http://blogs.gwhatchet.com/newsroom/2012/02/02/kagan-rules-in-annual-moot-court-competition/. live.
  21. Web site: Required J.D. Curriculum. GW Law. July 15, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140716064059/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Academics/curriculum/Pages/required.aspx. July 16, 2014.
  22. Web site: Curriculum Overview. GW Law. July 15, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140721032806/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Academics/curriculum/Pages/default.aspx. July 21, 2014.
  23. Web site: GW-Oxford Summer Program. GW Law. January 7, 2017. January 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170108195846/https://www.law.gwu.edu/oxford-summer-program. live.
  24. Web site: Joint Degree Programs. GW Law. July 22, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140727060859/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Academics/degrees/Pages/Joint_Degrees.aspx. July 27, 2014.
  25. Web site: GW Law at a Glance. GW Law. July 14, 2014. September 19, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140919172155/http://www.law.gwu.edu/School/Pages/Glance.aspx. live.
  26. Web site: S.J.D. Admissions. GW Law. July 22, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140725162705/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Admissions/Pages/SJD.aspx. July 25, 2014.
  27. Web site: Academic Recognition and Grade Representation Policy. GW Law. July 21, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141109060943/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Students/Records/Pages/GradePolicy.aspx. November 9, 2014.
  28. Web site: Publications. GW Law. July 22, 2014. July 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140721212514/http://www.law.gwu.edu/School/Pages/Publications.aspx. live.
  29. Web site: Fall 2013 JD and Non-JD Enrollment. American Bar Association. July 21, 2014. July 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725021727/https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/2013_fall_jd_nonjd_enrollment.xlsx. live.
  30. Web site: Section of Legal Education – ABA Required Disclosures. American Bar Association. July 20, 2014. July 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714122430/http://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/. live.
  31. Web site: Welcome New Students. GW Law . August 19, 2010.
  32. Web site: Admissions. GW Law. July 21, 2014. January 5, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160105140521/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Admissions/Pages/Default.aspx. live.
  33. Web site: Students Organizations. GW Law. July 21, 2014. August 2, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140802172008/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Students/Organizations/Pages/default.aspx. live.
  34. Web site: DC & GW. GW Law. July 21, 2014. August 2, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140802164556/http://www.law.gwu.edu/DCGW/Pages/Default.aspx. live.
  35. Web site: Jacob Burns Law Library . GW Law . July 21, 2014 . July 23, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140723144743/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Library/Pages/Default.aspx . dead .
  36. Web site: LSAT Score Percentiles. Manhattan Review. November 6, 2018. October 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201027041200/https://www.manhattanreview.com/lsat-percentiles/. live.
  37. Web site: George Washington University – 2019 Standard 509 Information Report. December 4, 2019. December 13, 2018. December 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181215224439/https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2351/f/downloads/Standard_509_Report.pdf. live.
  38. Web site: 2019 Standard 509 Information Report. December 4, 2019. American Bar Association. December 12, 2018. December 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181215224439/https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2351/f/downloads/Standard_509_Report.pdf. live.
  39. Web site: J.D. Admissions Requirements. GW Law. July 21, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140720173740/http://www.law.gwu.edu/Admissions/JD/Pages/Requirements.aspx. July 20, 2014.
  40. Web site: George Washington University. May 31, 2024 . US News Rankings.
  41. Web site: February 24, 2014 . Explore the Data Behind the Go-To Law Schools . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210115214848/https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/almID/1202644151133/ . January 15, 2021 . May 30, 2020.
  42. Web site: Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition GW Moot Court Board . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200705010155/http://www.gwlawmootcourt.com/van-vleck-constitutional-law-moot-court-competition/ . July 5, 2020 . July 3, 2020 . en-US.
  43. Web site: Supreme Court Clerkship Placement, 2003 Through 2013, 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140919201025/http://www.leiterrankings.com/new/2013_SCClerkshipPlacement.shtml . September 19, 2014 . July 21, 2014 . Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings.
  44. Web site: 2010 Ranking of Student Bodies By Numerical Quality . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110915065302/http://www.leiterrankings.com/new/2010_top40lawschools.shtml . September 15, 2011 . July 21, 2014 . Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings.
  45. Web site: Top 70 Law Faculties In Scholarly Impact, 2007–2011 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211123082134/http://www.leiterrankings.com/new/2012_scholarlyimpact.shtml . November 23, 2021 . July 21, 2014 . Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings.
  46. News: Death: Francis R. Kirkham. Deseret News. January 7, 2017. October 27, 1996. January 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170109021246/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/521561/DEATH--FRANCIS-R-KIRKHAM.html?pg=all. live.
  47. Book: Swaine. Robert T.. The Cravath Firm and Its Predecessors, 1819–1947, Volume 1. 1946. Reprint 2006, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.. 1584777133. xvii, n 279. October 24, 2020. March 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230328035027/https://books.google.com/books?id=p8jmmSwD9KEC&q=%22reynolds+robertson%22+cravath&pg=RA1-PR17. live.
  48. Book: Robertson. Reynolds. Kirkham. Francis R. Wolfson. Richard F. Kurland. Philip B. Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States. 1951. Matthew Bender. Albany. 0598833137. 1884480. January 7, 2017. March 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230328035030/https://www.worldcat.org/title/1884480. live.
  49. Web site: Employment Summary for 2019 Graduates. GW Law. May 30, 2020. July 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200729064222/https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2351/f/downloads/GW-Law-ABA-Employment-Summary-for-the-Class-of-2019.pdf. live.
  50. Web site: George Washington University. www.lstreports.com. en. May 8, 2018. May 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190513171929/https://www.lstreports.com/schools/gw/. live.
  51. Web site: Cost of Attendance. GW Law. May 8, 2018. May 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180509012939/https://www.law.gwu.edu/cost-of-attendance. live.
  52. Web site: George Washington University Profile, Costs. Law School Transparency. May 8, 2018. March 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328192153/https://www.lstreports.com/schools/gw/costs/. live.
  53. Web site: Which law school graduates have the most debt?. U.S. News & World Report. July 21, 2014. July 22, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140722174623/http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/grad-debt-rankings/page+3. live.
  54. Web site: Clarence Thomas | GW Law | The George Washington University. GW Law. May 3, 2019. May 3, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503224812/https://www.law.gwu.edu/clarence-thomas. live.

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