LEGAL Education TO CHANGE THE WORLD: Law in Action in OUR Nation’s Capital
The George Washington University Law School Juris Doctor Program GW L aw | J u ris Doc tor Progr a M
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CONTENTS
3 Law in Action: The Legal World at Your Doorstep 8 Your Personalized Pathway 8 Inns of Court 10 Curriculum 16 Public Interest/Public Service Law 20 Launching Your Career: Developing Your Strategy 27 Practical Considerations 34 GW Law + DC 36 GW Law by the Numbers
THE GW LAW DIFFERENCE GW Law provides a legal education that cannot be found anywhere else—an education premised on law in action.
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RIGHT: GW Law professors regularly testify before bodies such as the International Court of Justice and the U.S. Congress, and participate in the work of international entities such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
L aw in Action: The Legal World at Your Doorstep At GW Law, legal education happens both inside and outside the classroom. With world-renowned faculty and a location only four blocks from the White House, GW Law puts students at the center of the legal world and helps them develop the expertise to succeed in that world. This combination of location and expertise helps our students gain a competitive advantage both as they earn their degrees and as they enter the job market. Our students combine theoretical learning with practical, hands-on education through a variety of opportunities including clinics, skills competitions, and field placement positions with the leading policy-making offices and institutions that surround GW Law.
LEFT: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer addresses attendees at a GW Law Review Symposium commemorating Professor Jerome A. Barron’s landmark 1967 article, “Access to the Press: A New First Amendment Right.”
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LEFT: GW Law moot court competitors have argued before Justice Elena Kagan (center) and Justice Samuel Alito (right) of the U.S. Supreme Court. Opportunities to perform public service begin as early as orientation (left).
It Starts Now
From their first day at GW Law, our students engage in a dynamic legal education experience. During orientation, for example, students interested in the Public Interest/Public Service Law Program visit the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where they observe family, criminal, civil, landlord/tenant, and other small claims cases; or, they assist with preparations for the new school year at Ballou Senior High School; or, they visit the Correctional Treatment Facility and DC Jail, meeting individuals they might later serve as pro bono student attorneys. GW Law students compete in moot court competitions, arguing cases before eminent jurists such
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as Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Elena Kagan, and Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as Chief Judge Randall R. Rader, J.D. ‘78, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Our students also present actual cases; last year, students in one of GW Law’s clinics represented a client before the Maryland Court of Appeals and helped change case law.
The Class of 2012 volunteered 10,549 pro bono hours during their time at GW Law, providing legal services to the underprivileged or legal education to children through various organizations, government entities, and in-house GW Law projects. Pictured above are some of the 2012 graduates honored for their pro bono commitment at an awards ceremony and dinner held annually for graduates and their guests at Washington Nationals Stadium.
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LEFT: GW Law hosts a variety of eminent speakers each year, including academics from leading universities, high-ranking government officials, and judges from the United States and abroad.
WHO WE KNOW
GW Law students study with a faculty of leading scholars and practitioners—experts whose passion for teaching and whose professional experience shapes the study and practice of law. The men and women who teach at GW Law are among the most frequently cited law faculty in the nation, regularly appearing in print, online, and on air in media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and National Public Radio. They are respected scholars and authors of leading casebooks and works for general readership alike. Many remain involved in practice, whether arguing cases before the Supreme Court or serving as counsel to foreign governments. Our faculty members travel the world to teach and learn at premier educational institutions and affect dialogue and decision making at seats of global influence, including the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In addition, our faculty members have served in the Obama and Bush administrations and held prestigious clerkships, a number of these for sitting members of the Supreme Court.
nearby. Our campus is only four blocks from the White House and within easy reach of the World Bank, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of State, federal and local courts, and countless nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. Our adjunct faculty practice in all of those settings—we have a Constitutional Law course taught by a Supreme Court justice. GW Law students also benefit from an impressive array of guest lectures. During the past year, the school has hosted judges from the European Court of Human Rights and from the International Court of Justice. Nearly every day, sitting federal judges and lead counsels for government agencies bring their expertise into the classroom. These are just a few examples of GW Law’s commitment to offering students “law in action.” The GW Law experience is dynamic, rigorous, hands-on, and practical. Our students leave prepared to change the world.
As a complement to our full-time faculty, GW Law attracts adjunct faculty from the wealth of talent RIGHT: Professor Naomi Cahn and law students collected and analyzed data for a university-wide research team that examined gender equality. 6
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Your Personalized Pathway From the moment they arrive on campus, our students benefit from the GW Law advantage. While most law schools divide their classes into sections for ease of administration, GW Law offers small groups to assist students in creating individualized pathways to the law. INNS OF COURT The Inns of Court program offers students support and mentorship from a diverse set of dedicated advisors who assist students in attaining an enriched law school experience and opportunities for enhanced career outcomes. (We borrowed the “Inns of Court” name from the British institutions that traditionally trained barristers and regulated their practice.) As 1Ls, our students are assigned to one of six Inns of Court and take all 1L classes with that cohort. Within each Inn, students have access to: • an advisory team of faculty, staff, and upper-class students who assist them in developing their legal career paths. Students work with their advisors both in a group setting and one-on-one. • both formal and informal weekly sessions at which students get to know and ask questions of their advisors, as well as meet with alumni and practicing attorneys. Our students participate in seminars such as “Seven Things You Need to Know to Be
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Successful in Law School and Your Legal Career” and “How to Find Your Place in the New Legal Market.”
• an immediate focus on career development. Our career advisors connect students with practitioners and alumni for informational interviews. For instance, during our students’ weekly sessions with their advisors, they have an ideal forum for discussing their future careers with both their faculty advisors and with visiting practicing attorneys. They learn how to conduct informational interviews with practioners that leave a positive impression, and they can attend sessions on networking strategies. This dynamic combination of support and career development from the start of your legal education sets the GW Law experience apart from all others.
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The Inns of Court program is an exciting new addition at GW Law for first-year students. The program provides several opportunities. On the career side, we can network with current practitioners to get insight into our areas of interest. This built-in network provides an early advantage for internships and jobs. On the communitybuilding side, I have been able to bond with my fellow 1Ls, which has given me an opportunity to build community and camaraderie. This sense of community will help us stay connected throughout our GW Law career, rather than just being connected during our first year of law school. The Inns of Court also connects students with alumni mentors. This relationship has significantly eased my transition to law school.
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– Michael Komo, J.D. ‘15
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Curriculum
After 1L, students begin to pursue their interests in depth. GW Law offers more than 275 elective courses to help students build their expertise in various areas of the law. Administrative Law and Government Regulation Administrative Law Advanced Antitrust Law Seminar Animal Law Seminar Antitrust Law Campaign Finance Law Communications Law Congressional Investigations Seminar Food and Drug Law Health Care Law Health Care Law Seminar Lawyers, Lobbying, and the Law Legislation Legislative Analysis and Drafting Local Government Law Public Law Seminar Telecommunications Law Veterans Law Commercial, Business, and Labor Law Admiralty Banking Law Banking Law Seminar Business Bankruptcy and Reorganization Business Planning Commercial Paper—Payment Systems Consumer Protection Law Corporate Finance Corporation Law Seminar Corporations Creditors’ Rights and Debtors’ Protection E-Commerce Employee Benefit Plans
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Employment Law Insurance Labor Law Regulation of Derivatives Regulation of Mutual Funds and Investment Advisers Secured Transactions Securities Law Seminar Securities Regulation Sports and the Law Takeovers and Tender Offers Unincorporated Business Organizations and Agency Law Venture Capital Law Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Asian Americans and the Law Civil Rights Legislation Constitutional Law II Constitutional Law Seminar Constitutional Law and the Supreme Court Employment Discrimination Law Federal Indian Law The First Amendment Gender Discrimination and the Law Higher Education Law The Law of Democracy Law and Religion Law of the Separation of Powers Sexuality and the Law Voting Rights Law Courts and Civil Litigation Advanced Evidence Seminar Appellate Practice Civil Procedure Seminar Complex Litigation Conflict of Laws
Evidence Federal Courts Litigation with the Federal Government Remedies Scientific Evidence Seminar Criminal Law and Procedure Adjudicatory Criminal Procedure Computer Crime Criminal Law and Procedure Seminar Criminal Procedure Criminal Tax Litigation Drugs and the Law Federal Sentencing Seminar Forensic Science Law and Criminology Prisoners Project Role of the Federal Prosecutor White Collar Crime Environmental and Energy Law Air Pollution Control Atomic Energy Law Coastal, Navigation, and Wetlands Resource Law Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes Energy and the Environment Energy Law and Regulation Environment and Energy Policy Practicum Environmental Crimes Project Environmental Law Environmental Issues in Business Transactions Environmental Law Seminar Environmental Lawyering Environmental Legislation Project
Environmental Negotiations Environmental and Toxic Torts Federal Facilities Environmental Law Issues International Climate Change Law International Environmental Law Natural Resources Law Regulation of Toxic Substances Risk Sustainable Regional Growth Seminar Trade and Sustainable Development Water Pollution Control Wildlife and Ecosystems Law Government Procurement Law Comparative Public Procurement Formation of Government Contracts Government Contracts Government Contracts Advocacy Government Contracts Cost and Pricing Government Contracts Seminar Government Procurement of Intellectual Property Seminar Performance of Government Contracts Intellectual Property Law Advanced Trademark Law Art, Cultural Heritage, and the Law Seminar Chemical and Biotech Patent Law Computer Law Copyright Law Design Law Enforcement of Intellectual Property in the U.S. International Trade Commission Entertainment Law The Federal Circuit Information Privacy Law Intellectual Assets Management Intellectual Property Intellectual Property Antitrust Seminar Intellectual Property Law Seminar International and Comparative Patent Law
International Copyright Law Law in Cyberspace Licensing of Intellectual Property Rights Patent Appellate Practice Patent Enforcement Patent Law Patent Strategies and Practice Trademark Law and Unfair Competition International Law Advanced International Trade Law Chinese Business Law Comparative Constitutional Law Comparative Law Comparative Law Seminar Foreign Direct Investment Human Rights and Environmental Protection Human Rights Lawyering Immigration Law I Immigration Law II International Arbitration International Banking and Investment Law International Business Transactions International Business Transactions Seminar International Commercial Law The International Competition Law Regime International Criminal Law International Family Law International Finance International Human Rights of Women International Law International Law of Human Rights International Litigation International Money Laundering, Corruption, and Terrorism International Negotiations International Organizations International Project Finance International Trade Law Introduction to Transactional Islamic Law Islamic Law
Law of the European Union Law of Japan Law of the People’s Republic of China Law of the Sea Law of War Nation Building and the Rule of Law Public International Law Seminar Refugee and Asylum Law Regional Protection of Human Rights Space Law Trade Remedy Law Traditional Jewish Civil Law U.S. Export Control and Regulation Law and Other Disciplines Feminist Legal Theory Genetics and the Law History of the Common Law History of the U.S. Constitution Introduction to Legal Theory Jurisprudence Jurisprudence Seminar Law and Accounting Law and Anthropology Law and Economics Law and Literature Law and Medicine Law and Psychiatry The Law and Regulation of Science Law of Race and Slavery Legal History Seminar Professional Responsibility and Ethics Seminar Quantitative Analysis for Lawyers Race, Racism, and American Law U.S. Legal History Women, Money, and Law National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law Comparative Military Law Counterterrorism Law Cybersecurity Law and Policy Disaster Law Homeland Security Law and Policy Intelligence Law Military Justice National Security Law
National Security Law Seminar Nuclear Nonproliferation Law and Policy U.S. Foreign Relations Law Property, Family Law, and Torts Domestic Violence Law Elder Law Estate Planning Family, Child, and State Family Law Family Law Seminar Housing Law and Policy Land Use Law Law of Real Estate Financing Modern Real Estate Transactions Products Liability Property and Real Estate Law Seminar Trusts and Estates Trusts, Estates, and Professional Responsibility Simulation Courses Advanced Appellate Advocacy Alternative Dispute Resolution Client Interviewing and Counseling Law and Rhetoric Legal Drafting Mediation Negotiations Pre-Trial Advocacy Trial Advocacy Taxation Federal Income Taxation Corporate Taxation International Taxation Nonprofit Organizations: Law and Taxation Partnership and LLC Taxation State and Local Taxation Tax Policy Seminar Wealth Transfer Taxation
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BELOW LEFT: The Immigration Law Association held a panel of recent alumni, who discussed their careers in immigration law. GW Law offers more than 50 clubs and associations in which students can participate.
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Experiential Learning
GW Law offers students practical, hands-on experiences that enhance their knowledge of the law and provide real legal work experience. Field Placement Program
The Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics
At GW Law, students experience the practical and engaging work of the law by participating in a nearly infinite number of opportunities to work with domestic and international organizations. More than 600 students participate in approved externships for credit each year. Recent placements include:
As a powerful complement to their classroom studies, our students hone their negotiation, litigation, and advocacy skills in GW Law’s Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics. Whether representing a victim of domestic abuse or advising a small business owner, students work in tandem with faculty and practitioners to provide legal services that improve the lives of community members while exposing students to real-life legal work with real impact. Clinical programs include:
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Office of the White House Counsel U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Department of State Senate Judiciary Committee Recording Industry Association of America American Civil Liberties Union U.S. Department of Defense World Organization for Human Rights U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia World Bank
• Neighborhood Law & Policy Clinic • Domestic Violence Project • • • • • • •
Family Justice Litigation Clinic Federal, Criminal, and Appellate Clinic Health Rights Law Clinic Immigration Clinic International Human Rights Clinic Public Justice Advocacy Clinic Small Business & Community Economic Development Clinic • Vaccine Injury Clinic
Students interested in environmental law can study abroad at the University of Groningen (center). Other available programs include those at Oxford (left) and Munich (right).
Additional Experiential Learning Opportunities
Study Abroad
In addition to participating in the Law School’s clinics, students can gain valuable hands-on experience under faculty supervision in the following programs:
A GW Law education teaches students to think globally as they solve complex legal problems. Students may begin to acquire a global perspective through a variety of study abroad opportunities. Through both summer and academic year programs, our students gain exposure to the study of law in an international context through prestigious work and experiential opportunities, including:
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Criminal Justice Reform Project Animal Law Litigation Project Project for Older Prisoners The J. B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Environmental Law Clinic
Journals Students may apply for membership in one of eight student-run journals. • The George Washington Law Review • The George Washington International Law Review • The American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal • Federal Circuit Bar Journal • Federal Communications Law Journal • International Law in Domestic Courts • The Public Contract Law Journal • The Journal of Energy and Environmental Law
• Oxford–GW Summer Program in International Human Rights Law • North American Consortium on Legal Education • Munich Intellectual Property Summer Program • GW-Augsburg Student Exchange Program • University of Groningen, The Netherlands • Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi,” Milan, Italy • The Gruber Foundation International Law Fellowship, International Court of Justice, The Hague, The Netherlands
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Public Interest/Public Service L aw
GW Law is committed to public interest and public service law. Alan Morrison, Lerner Family Associate Dean for Public Interest and Public Service Law and leader of the Law School’s public interest initiatives, is one of the most celebrated public interest litigators in the country, having argued multiple times before the U.S. Supreme Court and having been involved in many leading public interest law issues over the past four decades.
Pro Bono Program David Johnson, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Public Service Law, oversees the Pro Bono Program. A hallmark of the program is that we actively create pro bono projects for our students. Current pro bono projects created at GW Law and only available to its students include: • • • • •
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GW Cancer Pro Bono Project Homeless Pro Bono Project Office of Administrative Hearings Pro Bono Project District Record Sealing Service Veteran’s Law Pro Bono Project
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GW Law students also have the opportunity to work on pro bono projects during winter break such as the Gulf Recovery Network in New Orleans, on behalf of the victims of the BP oil spill and Hurricane Katrina. J.D. students who volunteer 60 or more hours of pro bono service are honored at the annual Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony during commencement weekend.
Public Interest Pre-Orientation Program Dean Morrison and Dean Johnson lead a three-day, pre-orientation program specifically for new students to provide an intensive introduction to some of the public service opportunities in the Washington, DC, area. Recent visits during the program have included a county detention facility; a youth services center; the DC Superior Court, where students met judges and clerks and watched cases; and the Office of Administrative Hearings, where students sat in on cases.
Field Placement Program Under the direction of Jessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Field Placement, students may undertake a semester-long public interest externship for credit.
Office of Professional Development and Career Strategy The Office of Professional Development and Career Strategy designates one counselor to focus solely on public interest placements.
Public Interest Scholarships GW Law provides a significant number of public interest scholarships each year to students who have demonstrated commitment to public service. These scholarships enable students to take otherwise unpaid positions with governmental and nonprofit organizations.
TOP: Dean Alan Morrison (left) co-founded Public Citizen Litigation Group with Ralph Nader (right) in 1972 and directed the group for more than 25 years. BOTTOM: Students interested in Public Interest/Public Service Law (shown here on the National Mall) participate in a three-day, hands-on pre-orientation program.
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Rachel Cohn, 3L Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
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I am continually impressed by the number and variety of professional events taking place at the Law School. They’re great opportunities to network with legal practitioners in a wide variety of industries and hear interesting perspectives on substantive legal issues.
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Why GW L aw?
Career Focus
Rachel Cohn mentions size, reputation, the large, active alumni community, and location as deciding factors in her choice of GW Law. “The location in the heart of Washington, DC, allowed me to take advantage of the wide variety of practical legal work opportunities in and around the nation’s capital,” she says.
Her participation in the 1L mock trial competition sparked Rachel’s interest in litigation, and interning for a civil trial judge at DC Superior Court the summer after her 1L year helped confirm that interest. After her 2L year, she was a summer associate in the litigation practice at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, LLP in New York. She has accepted an offer to join the firm after graduation.
Practical Experience Rachel held an externship at the Federal Communications Commission in the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. “I worked at my externship at the FCC two to three days each week, which has given me a realistic legal work experience. I’m assigned important legal work that would otherwise be completed by attorneys in the office and I have been able to make significant contributions to [the agency record in] an important rulemaking proceeding.” In addition, Rachel serves as the Student Bar Association’s Chief of Staff.
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L aunching Your Career: Developing Your Str ategy Each student’s path from GW Law to professional life is aided by the tremendous support and resources that the Law School provides, starting from a student’s first days at GW Law. Within the Inns of Court sections as 1Ls, students receive advice, insight, and strategies related to career planning. They learn how to strengthen their experience and marketability with externships through the Field Placement Program and through service in our clinics or in the Public Interest/Public Service Law Program. The Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy (Career Center) assists students at every stage, from helping them find summer job opportunities to helping them launch their careers after graduation. The center’s 13 career counselors comprise one of the largest legal career counseling teams in the country, and these counselors have extensive experience working in both the public and private sectors. They offer expertise and knowledge in preparing students for a wide range of career options, including
opportunities with government agencies, law firms, federal and state courts, nonprofit organizations, and private sector employers. GW Law also has counselors dedicated to working with students who are seeking opportunities with public interest organizations. In addition, we offer numerous opportunities tailored to members of affinity groups. The center’s counselors are dedicated to helping students establish their individual job search strategies.
FAST FACTS • The Career Center hosts nearly 100 programs annually, including panels and networking programs, the fall recruitment program, the spring
interviewing program, diversity events and programs, and public interest initiatives. •
Each spring, the Career Center hosts the Public Sector Recruitment Program, in partnership with Georgetown University Law Center.
• The center’s Career Resource Library offers access to thousands of summer and permanent job postings.
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2011 Areas of Employment*
9%
12% business/industry
judicial clerkships
9% public interest
7%
18%
academic
government
2% unknown
43% law firms
* Employment information is based on graduates employed at nine months after graduation.
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Clerkships
In the past three years, the Career Center’s clerkship counselors have helped graduates secure judicial clerkships with courts across the United States, including: • Supreme Court of the United States
• Massachusetts Appeals Court, Boston
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Los Angeles
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, DC • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, New York City • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, San Diego • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami • U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Washington, DC
Alumni Mentorship Opportunities GW Law’s network of more than 25,000 alums worldwide offers students practical guidance while they’re law students. Each incoming student is matched with a mentor from an area of practice in which the student has an interest. Students benefit from the mentor’s advice about law school, potential legal practice areas, and networking opportunities.
FAST FACTS •
Last year, GW Law’s new graduates sat for the bar in 27 states.
• The 2011 passage rates for first-time takers in the three bar examinations GW Law graduates most frequently take were: Maryland–93%;
New York–94%; Virginia–94%. •
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During the past seven years, six Law School graduates have been selected to clerk for justices of the U.S. Supreme Court; nine members of the GW Law faculty are former U.S. Supreme Court clerks.
Joe Yarbough, 3L Undergraduate Institution: Duke University
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The faculty, staff, and students at GW Law all care about how you are doing as a person, not just as a law student. Law school can be stressful, but being in a warm environment like GW Law, where people are genuinely interested in your well-being, makes it feel like you’re not alone.
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“ Why GW L aw? Joe cites three reasons for choosing GW Law: the collegiality among students, the location in the heart of DC, and the excellence and accessibility of the faculty. “All the professors are distinguished scholars, and their backgrounds cover all types of prestigious positions including former law firm partners, former DOJ attorneys, and even former Supreme Court clerks.”
Practical Experience During his 1L summer, Joe worked at the Office of the Public Defender in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and during the spring of 2012, he worked for the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia. He credits his 1L Criminal Law class with solidifying his interest in criminal defense work and leading him to his externships. As a 3L, he serves as intern for Judge Robert Wilkins of the DC District Court. He also participates in the Law Students in Court—Criminal Division Clinic. He has been secretary of the Criminal Law Society and the Black
Law Student Association, a member of The George Washington International Law Review, and on the staff of the Guide to International Legal Research. In addition, he has been a member of the Mock Trial Board and was on the team that competed in and won the eighth annual ABA Section on Labor and Employment Law’s Trial Advocacy Regional Competition. Joe also serves as clerk of the executive board of Phi Delta Phi International, John Marshall Inn, Honors Chapter.
Career Focus Following his 2L year, Joe was a summer associate at King & Spalding and will return to the firm as an associate after graduation. He anticipates an eventual career in white-collar criminal defense.
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Pr actical Consider ations FINANCIAL AID
The Financial Aid Office works with students individually to ensure that they receive the most generous aid package available. Their goal is to make attending GW Law possible. Eighty-five to ninety percent of students receive some form of aid. Each student’s assigned financial aid counselor will guide the student through the financial aid application process. Assigned counselors can be located on our Admitted Student Portal at https://my.law.gwu.edu. GW Law offers need-based grants to applicants who demonstrate significant financial need, and we will assist admitted students in obtaining student loan funding through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Although most law students will assume significant student loan debt, the GW Law Financial Aid Office will help minimize student debt
as much as possible. Required payments on these low-interest federal funded loans are deferred until after graduation. Several repayment options will be made available to students, including the popular Income-based Repayment (IBR) Program, which calculates an affordable monthly payment based on a borrower’s annual salary. Recent legislation allows William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan debt to be forgiven after 10 years of repayment for those choosing a public service career, and after 25 years of repayment for those employed in the private sector.
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Typical Student Budget: 2012–2013 The following breakdowns are based on the estimated costs for the nine-month 2012–2013 academic year. Note: Costs for the 2013 –2014 academic year will be set in late spring of 2013. Full-Time J.D.
Part-Time J.D.
Minimum 12 hours per semester
20 credit hours taken during the academic year
$47,535
Tuition and fees*
$35,112
Books and supplies
1,665
Books and supplies
1,228
Health insurance
2,000
Health insurance
2,000
Loan origination / guarantee fees
1,800
Loan origination / guarantee fees
1,800
Tuition and fees*
Room and board
18,900
Room and board
18,900
Personal expenses
3,200
Personal expenses
3,200
Transportation
2,200
Transportation
2,200
Total cost
$77,300
Total cost
$64,440
*Full-time J.D. students (taking 12 credits or more per semester) pay a flat tuition rate. Part-time J.D. students pay tuition at a rate of $1,672 per credit. For planning purposes, students should expect a total annual increase in tuition of at least $1,500.
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Keep in Touch
Admissions inatGW@law.gwu.edu 202.994.7230
Sophia Sim Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid ssim@law.gwu.edu
JoSie Shelby-Wilson Director of Admissions josie@law.gwu.edu
Matthew Dillard Assistant Director of Admissions mdillard@law.gwu.edu
Financial Aid finaid@law.gwu.edu
Meredith Schor Director of Financial Aid mschor1@law.gwu.edu
Beth Ramirez-Amurao Senior Financial Aid Counselor beth@law.gwu.edu
Darshani Don Financial Aid Counselor darshani@law.gwu.edu
Nancy La Motta Associate Director of Financial Aid nancy@law.gwu.edu
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The Aston offers on-campus housing in furnished studio apartments (bottom left and right).
HOUSING
Washington, DC, has been called the most livable city on the East Coast. GW Law’s location in the heart of DC makes it a hub with easy access to just about any neighborhood in DC or in neighboring Maryland or Virginia by car, Metrorail, or Metrobus. On-Campus Housing
Off-Campus Housing
GW Law offers a number of options for those who prefer to live on campus during their first year, all within blocks of the Law School and campus resources such as the Lerner Health and Wellness Center.
Washington, DC, is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own character, culture, and price range. The DC neighborhoods most popular among GW Law students include Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Columbia Heights, Downtown, the U Street Corridor, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown. Many students also choose to live in Alexandria and Arlington, two close-in Virginia suburbs. For more info on living in and around DC, check out our web site at www.law.gwu.edu/housing.
• The Aston comprises 119 furnished studio apartments and is located just six blocks from the law school at 1129 New Hampshire Ave., NW. All utilities, as well as cable and high-speed Internet, are included. • The Hall on Virginia Avenue (HOVA), located at 2601 Virginia Ave., NW offers furnished, single-occupancy rooms. • The Columbia Plaza Housing Program helps GW Law students secure apartments in the privately owned Columbia Plaza at 2400 Virginia Ave., NW, a multi-building complex of spacious apartments.
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Robert V. Russo, 3L (part-time) Undergraduate Institution: The George Washington University
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I’ve really been impressed by the collegial and supportive student community. The evening class really bonded in our 1L year, and my professors have all been genuinely interested in challenging us to think critically and to develop the skills necessary to become faithful stewards of the law and successful advocates of change.
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“ Why GW L aw?
Career Focus
Robert wanted to attend an outstanding law school and believes there’s nothing like studying law in the very place where law is made and executed. As a part-time student with a full-time job at the U.S. Department of State, GW Law’s evening program was a perfect fit for him.
Robert, who currently works full time in the Office of the Secretary of State, is interested in pursuing a career in public service, using his law degree in a legislative capacity.
Practical Experience Robert served as the 3L Evening Senator in the Student Bar Association and as an executive committee member of the Evening Law Student Association. “Running to represent the 1L evening class in the SBA Senate was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” Robert says. “It’s been a great way for me to make friends across the law school, to learn about all the student organizations and academic programs, and to make a positive impact on the student experience.” In addition, he serves on the John Jay Inn of Court Advisory Team.
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GW + DC GW Law students are active participants in the legal dialogues taking place every day in the nation’s capital. At the Law School, students are minutes away from the institutions that will help them hone their skills and influence the way law is practiced.
1 The White House
4 Department of State
Four blocks from GW Law, the White House—seat of the nation’s executive branch—and nearby Executive Office Building provide several outplacement opportunities in fields such as constitutional law and administrative law.
The executive branch’s agency of foreign affairs, the State Department is a Foggy Bottom landmark three blocks from GW Law. It provides students with a first-hand look at international law at the highest level.
2 World Bank Through its work helping fund improvements in developing countries, the World Bank—only a block from GW Law—is a valuable resource for students interested in international law and finance law. 3 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Located right across the street from the Law School, the IMF oversees the global financial system and gives students the chance to observe international law and finance law in action.
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5 U.S. Court of Federal Claims U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Five blocks from the Law School, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims hears claims made against the U.S. government. At the same location, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction in a number of subject areas. GW Law students can find clerkships with judges in both courts. 6 Organization of American States Made up of 35 nations in North and South America, the OAS works to preserve peace and further development on both continents. GW Law students can find field placements in fields as varied as trade law and drug law.
7 Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
12 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
As the nation’s official center for performing arts, the Kennedy Center hosts a variety of cultural events and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Ballet, and the Washington National Opera.
Students interested in environmental law can find field placements at this federal agency charged with protecting human health and the environment. The EPA’s headquarters is a short Metro ride from GW Law.
8 Lincoln Memorial 9 Washington Monument 10 Jefferson Memorial
13 U.S. Capitol and Congressional Offices
These three monuments to American presidents are some of the most recognizable landmarks in DC. All are within walking distance of the Law School. 11 Smithsonian Institution The famed Smithsonian “Castle” is the headquarters of the institution, which oversees 17 Washington museums, including the National Air and Space Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
Recent field placements on Capitol Hill have included the Senate Health, Education, and Pensions Committee; the Senate Judiciary Committee; and the House Republican Judiciary Committee. The Hill is easily accessible from GW Law by Metro. 14 U.S. Supreme Court The highest court in the land is an ideal venue for students to observe high-profile legal proceedings, as well as pursue clerkships and field placements. During the past seven years, six GW Law grads have gone on to clerk for Supreme Court justices. The court is accessible by Metro.
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15 Library of Congress
16 Department of Justice
With the world’s largest collection of legal materials, the Library of Congress is an excellent research resource for law students in all areas of specialization.
GW Law students frequently find field placements at the government’s legal headquarters, working in fields ranging from counterterrorism to intellectual property litigation. The Justice Department is a short Metro ride from the Law School.
Foggy Bottom
17 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia The federal trials court for Washington, DC, offers clerkship opportunities in the chambers of its judges. The district court is Metro- accessible from GW Law.
Metro Center
18 Patent and Trademark Office This Alexandria, Virginia, office is a center of the intellectual property law community. Recent GW Law students have been placed in the Office of the Commissioner. The Patent and Trademark Office is easily reached by Metro and is a 20-minute drive from the Law School.
GW L aw | J u ris Doc tor Progr a M
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GW LAW BY THE NUMBERS
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GW L aw | J uris Doc tor Progr a m
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600
During the 2011–12 school year, 593 students pursued an internship for academic credit.
Our Field Placement Program offers more than 600 pre-approved placements.
15:1
Our student-faculty ratio is 15:1.
10,000+ The class of 2012 contributed more than 10,000 pro bono hours.
275
GW Law offers more than 275 elective courses.
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During the 2011–12 academic year, seven Supreme Court justices of the United States visited GW Law (Alito, Breyer, Kagan, Kennedy, Scalia, Sotomayor, and Thomas).
Five current members of the U.S. Supreme Court have come to campus to preside over the finals of the Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court competition.
430 14
Approximately 430 events take place at GW Law each year.
GW Law hosts 14 on-campus advocacy competitions each year.
The George Washington University Law School Admissions Office 700 20th Street, NW Washington, DC 20052 www.law.gwu.edu inatGW@law.gwu.edu 202.994.7230