Howard University School of Law

Howard University School of Law
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Name	Howard University School of Law
Established	1869
Type	Private
Parent	Howard University
City	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Dean	(varies)
Website	(omitted)

Howard University School of Law is a professional law school located in Washington, D.C., affiliated with Howard University. Founded shortly after American Civil War, the school has played a central role in training African American legal professionals and civil rights advocates. Its alumni and faculty have been influential in landmark cases, federal appointments, and organizations across the United States and internationally.

History

The school was established in 1869 during the Reconstruction era alongside institutions such as Freedmen's Bureau, reflecting ties to post‑Civil War initiatives like the Thirteenth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, and Fifteenth Amendment efforts. Early leaders and teachers engaged with figures associated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Congress of Racial Equality, and legal strategies later used in Brown v. Board of Education. Graduates participated in major twentieth‑century struggles, collaborating with litigators from National Urban League, advisors to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and activists connected to Montgomery Bus Boycott organizers. The school’s trajectory intersects with legislative landmarks such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and judicial developments at the Supreme Court of the United States.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum offers degrees and concentrations including the Juris Doctor, joint degrees with disciplines linked to Howard University School of Divinity, Howard University College of Medicine, and graduate programs akin to partnerships seen at universities collaborating with Georgetown University and Columbia University. Courses address subjects found in cases from the Supreme Court of the United States, doctrines influenced by statutes like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and practice areas present in federal institutions such as the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. The school provides clinical experiences resembling those at programs run by Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and offers externships with entities including the United States Congress, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and international organizations like the United Nations.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions metrics align with national processes used by the Law School Admission Council and standards observed at institutions such as New York University School of Law and University of Pennsylvania Law School. Prospective students submit credentials reflecting undergraduate work at universities like Morehouse College, Spelman College, Princeton University, and other institutions. Rankings by outlets that evaluate programs such as U.S. News & World Report and assessments referencing bar passage outcomes and employment placements compare the school to peers including Howard University, Temple University Beasley School of Law, and Florida A&M University College of Law. Alumni placement includes clerkships with judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and posts within agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Campus and Facilities

The law school is situated on Howard's campus near landmarks such as Howard Theatre, adjacent to neighborhoods including Columbia Heights and the U Street Corridor. Facilities encompass moot courtrooms modeled after venues used by advocates before the Supreme Court of the United States and libraries with collections paralleling those at the Library of Congress. Buildings host lectures featuring speakers comparable to those who appear at forums with participants from American Bar Association, National Bar Association, and visiting scholars from universities including Harvard University and Oxford University. Proximity to federal institutions like the United States Capitol and agencies such as the Department of Education supports externships and collaborative programs.

Student Life and Organizations

Student activities include chapters of national groups like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Student Bar Association, and specialty organizations modeled after professional affiliates such as the American Civil Liberties Union student chapters. Competitive teams participate in national competitions such as the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, National Moot Court Competition, and the Moot Court National Championship. Cultural and advocacy groups engage with networks connected to historically black colleges and universities like Howard University peers Hampton University and Florida A&M University, and professional pipelines linked to firms comparable to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Sullivan & Cromwell, and public sector employers including the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have included judges appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States‑connected clerks, members of the United States Congress, attorneys who argued before the Supreme Court of the United States, and leaders of civil rights organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Distinguished names associated by role or collaboration appear alongside leaders from Thurgood Marshall, advocates resembling those who worked with Constance Baker Motley, and jurists comparable to appointees on federal courts. Faculty have included scholars whose work intersects with legal scholarship published in reviews like the Harvard Law Review and institutions such as Princeton University and Yale University.

Clinics, Research Centers, and Public Service

Clinical programs address litigation and policy areas reflected in cases and agencies such as the Civil Rights Division (United States Department of Justice), Federal Communications Commission, and the International Criminal Court. Research centers foster scholarship on topics seen in commissions like the Kerner Commission and in partnerships with organizations such as the Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, and community legal services resembling the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Public service initiatives connect students to advocacy networks including the National Lawyers Guild and international legal forums like the International Bar Association.

Category:Howard University