American University Washington College of Law

American University Washington College of Law
Name	American University Washington College of Law
Established	1896
Type	Private law school
Parent	American University
Location	Washington, D.C., United States
Dean	Camille A. Nelson
Bar passage	varies by jurisdiction

American University Washington College of Law is a private law school in Washington, D.C., affiliated with American University. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest law schools established by women in the United States and located near landmarks such as the Kennedy Center and the Potomac River. The school offers Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and joint degree programs and engages with institutions including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Department of Justice, and the World Bank.

History

The law school was founded in 1896 by Ellen Spencer Mussey and Emma Gillett during the era of the Progressive Era, emerging alongside institutions like Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School as part of a broader expansion of professional education in the United States. Early graduates entered roles with the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar, and municipal courts in Washington, D.C.; contemporaneous legal developments included the Nineteenth Amendment and the Lochner v. New York era. During the mid-20th century, the school expanded academic ties with federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the institution broadened international programs linking to the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and the European Court of Human Rights. The law school’s evolution intersected with landmark moments like the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and legal responses to the September 11 attacks.

Campus and Facilities

The campus sits in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. near the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, adjacent to facilities used by The George Washington University and proximate to embassies along Massachusetts Avenue. Key facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, clinical spaces that coordinate with the Legal Services Corporation and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and libraries with collections that reference holdings similar to the Library of Congress and the law libraries of Georgetown University Law Center and Howard University School of Law. The campus hosts centers focused on human rights and international law with partnerships to organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and programming connected to the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum leads to the Juris Doctor degree, with concentrations and joint degrees alongside American University School of International Service and the Kogod School of Business. Programs include comparative law courses drawing on traditions from the European Union legal order, transnational arbitration linked to institutions such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and regulatory studies engaging with agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. Graduate offerings include the Master of Laws with specializations in human rights and international law informed by precedents from the Nuremberg Trials and tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Clinics and seminars explore litigation strategies from cases like Roe v. Wade, constitutional questions reminiscent of Marbury v. Madison, and administrative law themes tracing to Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc..

Clinical and Experiential Education

Clinical programs place students in supervised practice settings with partners such as the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, and non-governmental organizations including Human Rights First and the Legal Aid Society. Externships have connected students to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, congressional committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee, and international placements at missions to the United Nations and tribunals like the European Court of Human Rights. The school’s advocacy teams compete in moot courts modeled on the International Court of Justice, the American Bar Association negotiation competitions, and national contests such as the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Admissions and Student Body

Admissions evaluate applicants’ academic records, LSAT or GRE results, and professional experience, often drawing candidates with backgrounds from institutions including Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and liberal arts colleges such as Amherst College. The student body reflects geographic diversity, with graduates entering roles in federal agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, international organizations including the World Bank Group, and NGOs such as the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation.

Notable Faculty and Alumni

Faculty and alumni have served in judicial, executive, and legislative roles tied to institutions like the United States Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Graduates have become judges on state and federal benches, attorneys general in various states, counsel at firms such as Covington & Burling, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and leaders at NGOs including Refugees International. Distinguished faculty have lectured alongside scholars from Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School and collaborated with international jurists from the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Category:Law schools in Washington, D.C.