Washington College of Law

Washington College of Law
Name	Washington College of Law
Established	1896
Type	Private
Parent	American University
City	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Dean	Camille A. Nelson
Students	~900 (J.D.)

Washington College of Law is the law school of American University located in the District of Columbia. Founded in 1896, it is among the oldest law schools established by women and is situated near federal institutions and international organizations in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. The college maintains active engagement with courts, agencies, and non-governmental organizations including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Organization of American States.

History

The school was founded by Burton Harrison-era contemporaries and pioneering women educators who responded to exclusion from institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School. Early leaders forged ties with figures in the Progressive Era and institutions like National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Women's Suffrage movement. During the New Deal period the college engaged with legal reformers connected to Franklin D. Roosevelt administration agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. In the mid-20th century alumni and faculty intersected with landmark litigation at the United States Supreme Court, civil rights initiatives associated with Brown v. Board of Education, and international law developments at the Nuremberg Trials. The school affiliated with a larger private research university, and later decades saw expansion linking the college to practitioners from the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Campus and Facilities

The campus occupies a site proximate to the United States Capitol, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and headquarters of the Foreign Service Institute. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled on the United States Supreme Court chamber, law libraries with collections supporting research in areas tied to the United Nations and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and clinical spaces adjacent to organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Watch offices. Technology-enabled classrooms support simulation exercises that mirror litigation in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and transactional training involving entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission and major law firms including Covington & Burling and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum offers a Juris Doctor program alongside LL.M. degrees and joint degrees with schools connected to American University such as the School of International Service and the Kogod School of Business. Concentrations include international human rights law interfacing with the International Criminal Court and environmental law engaging with the Environmental Protection Agency; intellectual property coursework references precedents from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and influential rulings like in cases involving Apple Inc. and Google LLC. Faculty scholarship intersects with scholars from institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and Stanford Law School. Clinical seminars and externships place students at practicum sites including the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Federal Public Defender offices, federal agencies like the Office of the Solicitor General, and international bodies like the Organization of American States.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions draw applicants who have clerked for judges on courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and district courts such as the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Standardized testing benchmarks are considered alongside experiential qualifications like internships at entities such as the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Justice, World Bank Group, and nongovernmental groups like Amnesty International. Rankings and assessments by legal publications reference metrics similar to those used for schools like Georgetown University Law Center, George Washington University Law School, and Boston University School of Law; outcome comparisons note placement in federal clerkships, law firm hiring at firms such as Baker McKenzie and Latham & Watkins, and public interest placement at organizations including the Legal Aid Society.

Centers, Clinics, and Research

The college houses centers that collaborate with international and domestic partners such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the World Health Organization. Clinical programs operate in cooperation with the District of Columbia Bar, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and nonprofit litigators like Southern Poverty Law Center and Earthjustice. Research initiatives produce symposia and working papers featuring contributors from institutions including Oxford University, Cambridge University, National Bureau of Economic Research, and the American Bar Foundation.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations reflect interests spanning transactional work with alumni at firms like DLA Piper, trial advocacy connected to judges from the United States Court of Federal Claims, and international law projects linked to internships at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Labour Organization. Competitions include participation in moot court events hosted by institutions such as Harvard Law School, University of Oxford competitions, and advocacy challenges sponsored by groups like the American Bar Association and the International Law Students Association. Student government coordinates pro bono programming with partners such as the Neighborhood Legal Services Program and public interest externships at organizations including Public Citizen and Human Rights First.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have included judges who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, ambassadors to the United Nations, members of Congress, and leaders at NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and CARE USA. Graduates have taken roles in presidential administrations across Republican and Democratic administrations, including appointments to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and Department of Justice. Distinguished faculty collaborations and visiting scholars have been drawn from Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Columbia Law School, and international courts such as the International Criminal Court.

Category:Law schools in Washington, D.C.