Washington College of Law: Where the Legal World Converges

What law student wouldn't want to work alongside almost 200 attorneys from all over the world as they work towards getting their degree and ultimately, their license to practice? Where else can you realize those dreams? If you're a Washington College of Law student, you know exactly where your dreams are coming true. This impressive law school offers the world to those who are accepted. From constitutional law to intellectual property to gender related and human rights issues, WCL brings all of this to the table and so much more.

Part of the American University family, the school is located in northwest College and has close to sixty full time academic staff members. It's one of the top fifty law schools, ranked by US News and World Report, and initially was founded to provide legal opportunities for women. Founded by two women whose passions were to study law and their goal to become accepted legal attorneys, WCL was born in 1896. It's responsible for many milestones, including the first law school that had a graduating class consisting of nothing but women. Still, it wasn't formally accepted as part of AU until 1949.


The school's breathtaking campus is home to a six story facility that brings the classrooms, courtrooms and law library together. The massive building was designed with the goal of providing a closer proximity to everything the student body could need, including access to the faculty. Several meeting areas and lounges are found on each floor and the impressive technology is updated on a seemingly constant basis. Located only moments from Washington D.C. proper, there is no shortage of restaurants, shopping centers and parks within a very close proximity to the campus. It's central location to the goings-on in the nation's capital was no accident when it was relocated in 1996, exactly one hundred years after it was founded.

Since then, it's consistently been ranked high, and in 2008, was honored by being the most diverse top tier school in D.C. and the third most diverse throughout the country. While the school has a near even split of men and women, it only accepts approximately 1,600 new students each year. Less than one percent of the 8,800 applications for the Juris Doctor program are accepted.

The school “fosters an atmosphere based on access to the faculty, commitment to your success and motivation for the study of law and the practice of the profession that we have all chosen”. Further, the school sections are kept small, usually around 75 students, for a more intimate setting. It offers the most advanced technological resources for its students.

Some of the schools programs include UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic, War Crimes Research Office, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian, International Legal Studies Program and the WCL Project on Addressing Prison Rape. Pence Law Library is located on campus for the student body and the student body provides The Administrative Law Review, The Alternative Dispute Resolution Newsletter and The American Jurist, to name a few.

Washington College of Law is an institute that's steeped in American history and is an incredible choice for those who apply and are accepted.

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