Government Procurement Law

GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW: SEE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY LAW

GW LAW IS THE ACADEMIC BIRTHPLACE of the study of government procurement law—the law governing “the business of government.” We are the world’s preeminent public procurement program, educating successful government procurement lawyers and professionals for more than 60 years. The program’s internationally known faculty, myriad curricular offerings, and cutting-edge public programs are at the forefront of innovation in this crucial area of law.

Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., our proximity to the hub of government procurement law and policy provides our students with unparalleled opportunities to gain practical knowledge and experience while obtaining their degree. Whether they hold an externship with a federal agency or with the World Bank, argue a moot court case before federal judges, or negotiate a contract in an experiential course, our students gain preparation for the demands of a complex procurement law practice through our practicebased offerings.

Our expansive and diverse curriculum provides students with a richer understanding of how procurement systems operate, both in the United States and abroad, and exposes students to varying perspectives on emerging issues in the law. Our distinguished faculty, recognized as thought leaders in the field, produce scholarship that changes the way the world thinks and talks about public procurement.

We have a vast and dedicated alumni base comprised of leaders in the government procurement bar. The program also enjoys strong ties to policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and scholars around the world. We offer an unmatched variety of degrees and opportunities in the government procurement field, providing our graduates with the knowledge, connections, and opportunities to become future leaders and policymakers in the acquisition community domestically and abroad.

Professor Steven Schooner advises a student.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 14 credits from the following courses is required, including four (4) credits graded on the basis of a research paper. This typically entails completion of a thesis or two research papers written in connection with two separate two-credit courses. For students who choose to write a thesis, Thesis course and a minimum of 10 credits from the following courses are required. U.S. law school graduates enrolled in the program are expected to complete a thesis. Waiver of the thesis may be granted by the program directors.

Acquisition Policy Making Advanced International Trade Law Analytical Writing for Government Contracts Anti-Corruption and Compliance Comparative Public Procurement Congressional Investigations Seminar Corporations Federal Facilities Environmental Law Issues Federal Grants Law Foreign Government Contracting Formation of Government Contracts Government Contracts Advocacy Government Contracts Cost and Pricing Government Contracts Moot Court Government Contracts Overview Government Contracts Seminar (Various Topics) Government Procurement of Intellectual Property Seminar Graduate Government Contracts Placement Human Rights Lawyering International Money Laundering, Corruption, and Terrorism International Dispute Resolution International Trade Law Law of the European Union Law of the Sea Legal Drafting (Mergers and Acquisitions) Legal Drafting (Transactional) Mergers and Acquisitions Negotiations Performance of Government Contracts Procurement in International Development Procurement Reform Regulated Industries Selected Topics in Government Procurement Small Business and Community Economic Development Clinic Space Law State and Local Procurement Suspension and Debarment Trade and Sustainable Development U.S. Export Control Law and Regulation White Collar Crime

Contracts I and Contracts II also will be available; only students with a non-U.S. law degree who plan to take the New York bar examination may count these courses toward the 14 credits required in the field.

COURSES RELATED TO GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT LAW

These courses are related to, but do not count toward, the Government Procurement Law curriculum requirement.

Administrative Law Antitrust Law Business Planning Corporate Taxation Cybersecurity Law and Policy Disaster Law Employment Discrimination Law Environmental Law Federal Courts Government Lawyering Health Care Law International Business Transactions International Commercial Law Labor Law Law and Accounting Legislation Legislative Analysis and Drafting Local Government Law Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Negotiation and Conflict Management Systems Design Patent Law Public Law Seminar Reading Group (Block Chain Law & Tech)

Most courses are offered at least once per year. Course listing is based on 2020-21 Law School Bulletin.

LLM students who elect to write a thesis do so under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. The student’s faculty advisor assists in identifying and selecting an appropriate topic and works with the student on developing the focus and direction of the thesis. The thesis represents the culmination of students’ formal academic study and challenges them to develop innovative expertise as they synthesize and rationalize existing doctrine, critique the state of the law, and advance carefully grounded proposals for reform. Additional opportunities for in-depth research are provided through the government contracts seminar courses, which require the preparation of a research paper. For many of these papers, students may select and pursue a topic of their choosing, further developing their expertise in an area of particular interest. Program faculty members also are available to assist students in identifying publication opportunities for their theses and research papers. A number of theses and research papers are published in the Public Contract Law Journal, Public Procurement Law Review, Journal of Contract Management, and other major periodicals. Student scholarship also is eligible for prizes in, among others, the American Bar Association Public Contract Section’s annual writing competition.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT LAW

GRADUATE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS PLACEMENT Home to the federal government, the government contracting industry, international development banks, and leading government procurement associations and think tanks, Washington, D.C., provides students with extraordinary access to the best government procurement externships in the world. Our students work on sophisticated legal projects at a wide variety of government procurement placements, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the World Bank, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Management and Budget, and NASA. These placements are facilitated through the law school’s Field Placement Program.

ARNOLD & PORTER GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS MOOT COURT COMPETITION The Arnold & Porter Government Contracts Moot Court Competition is an annual intrascholastic competition open to both JD and LLM students. Each participant has the opportunity to argue both sides of a government contracts case before senior practitioners, including sitting judges from the various Boards of Contract Appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The competition problem and the best briefs are published each year in the Public Contract Law Journal. THE PUBLIC CONTRACT LAW JOURNAL

The Public Contract Law Journal, which is produced jointly by the law school and the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association, is the premier journal read by practitioners of government procurement law. The journal, published quarterly, is edited and managed by JD and LLM students.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS STUDENT ASSOCIATION The Government Contracts Student Association (GCSA) aims to encourage student interest in and engagement with the field of government procurement. In addition to promoting events and training, GCSA seeks to connect students with practitioners in this unique field in which several legal disciplines intersect. Members will have opportunities to learn more about this field from guest speakers and to network with local attorneys.

CONFERENCES AND COLLOQUIA The Government Procurement Law Program regularly hosts conferences and colloquia featuring leading experts in the field from around the world. These events play an important role in influencing critical government procurement policies that impact global government procurement regimes. Recent events include our annual procurement law conference with Kings College London, the International Forum for Business Ethical Conduct’s Annual Conference, and a global webinar series on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on procurement.

FACULTY

Full biographical information for full-time faculty members and deans begins on page 64.

ASSISTANT DEAN

Jessica Tillipman Assistant Dean for Government Procurement Law Studies and Government Contracts Advisory Council Professorial Lecturer in Government Contracts Law, Practice, and Policy

FACULTY CO-DIRECTORS

Joshua I. Schwartz E.K. Gubin Professor of Government Contracts Law

Christopher R. Yukins Lynn David Research Professor in Government Procurement Law

FULL-TIME FACULTY

Laura A. Dickinson Oswald Symister Colclough Research Professor of Law

William E. Kovacic Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy; Director, Competition Law Center

Steven L. Schooner Nash and Cibinic Professor of Government Procurement Law ADJUNCT FACULTY

The Government Procurement Law Program includes adjunct faculty members who are prominent legal professionals in the field. They come from leading law firms, nonprofit organizations, U.S. government agencies, and international organizations including:

• Arnold & Porter • Asmar, Schor & McKenna • Dentons • Feldsman Tucker Leifer Fidell • Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia

• NASA • Northrop Grumman • Office of Federal

Procurement Policy • Perkins Coie • Reed Smith • Smith Pachter McWhorter & Allen • Thompson Coburn • Tucker Ellis • United Nations Office for

Project Services • U.S. Civilian Board of

Contract Appeals • U.S. Department of Defense • U.S. Government

Accountability Office • Vinson & Elkins • Wiley Rein • World Bank

Full biographical information for our adjunct faculty members is available at www.law.gwu.edu/faculty.

Professor Christopher Yukins greets practitioner Jennifer S. Zucker at the annual Government Procurement Program Alumni and Friends Luncheon.

Assistant Dean Jessica Tillipman discusses procurement integrity with a delegation of government officials from Vietnam.