The Washington College of Law at American University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Akira Shiroma
Application deadline March 1
Full-time program application fee $70
Part-time program application fee $70
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The Washington College of Law at American University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 27.6% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.44
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 162

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 28.2%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 159-163
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.24-3.59
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.45
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 162

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 22.4%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 157-162
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.14-3.59
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.44
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 160

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.A.
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./M.P.A.
J.D./M.P.P.
J.D./L.L.M.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Clinic: Gen Pract, Comm Econ Dev, Crim, Disability, Wom&Law, Dom Vio, Tax, IP, Hum Rts, Imm. Center: Hum Rts, Envt, ADR, Intl Law, Law&Gov, Gender, Innocence Proj, Int’l Comm Arb. Study Abroad: Aus, Can, Chile, Fra, Hong Kong, Holland, Spain, Tur, UK, Isr. Summer Inst: Hum Rts, Intl Comm Arb, Envt Law, Health. Internships: US/Intl NGOs. Special: UNCAT, UNROW, Impact Lit. Degrees: JD w/MBA, MA, LLM
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
clinical training international law
dispute resolution tax law
environmental law trial advocacy
health care law

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 297
Seminars 144
Positions available in seminars 2,055
Positions available in simulation courses 1,025
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 223
Student activities (as provided by the school)
The Student Bar Assn supports 15 publications, the Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Honor Societies, and 48 student orgs including Equal Justice Foundation, Federalist Society; AP®ALSA, BLSA, Christian Law Society, LaLSA, JLSA, Lambda, SALSA; and academic interests such as the ADR, Business, Criminal, Energy, Environmental, Health, IP, Labor, Law & Government, Media, and Sports & Entertainment areas.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 79
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? Yes
Typical size of first-year “small section” 45
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 1,064
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 381
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 209
Full-time students involved in field placements 312
Full-time students involved in law journals 321
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 46
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 176

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 91
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars 549
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 392
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 14
Part-time students involved in field placements 18
Part-time students involved in law journals 10
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 5
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 14

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 11.0:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 378
Full-time minority faculty 21.5%
Part-time minority faculty 17.1%
Total faculty 395
Total faculty (men) 60.8%
Total faculty (women) 39.2%
Total faculty (minorities) 19.2%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#49 Best Law Schools

(5) Ranking by Specialties

#2 in Clinical Training
#19 in Intellectual Property Law
#6 in International Law
#43 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#6 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score 56
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 3.0
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 3.4
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.22-3.59
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.44
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 159-163
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 162
Acceptance rate 27.6% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 11.0:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 69.2% – Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.6% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.3% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 76.4%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 1499

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 1,239

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 260

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 10.8%
Second-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 4.7%
Female students discontinuing law school 2.8%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Barbara J.Williams
Financial aid phone (202) 274-4040
Financial aid application deadline March 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $45,096 per year
Part-time: $31,622 per year
Room and board $15,102
Books $1,500
Miscellaneous expenses $6,002
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? Yes
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? Yes
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? Yes

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 34.6%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 1.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 1.5%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.7%
Median grant amount $10,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $6,408–$14,288
Full-time students receiving grants 37.9%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 8.5%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 0.0%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $5,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $2,039–$10,000
Part-time students receiving grants 8.5%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $151,318
Proportion who borrowed 80.4%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? Yes

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 150,111
Microform titles 109,220
Electronic titles 97,008
Other non-book titles 1,455
Total titles 357,794
Volumes (excluding microforms) 364,421
Volume equivalent microforms 300,362
Total volumes and volume equivalents 661,379
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 26,400
Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia Yes

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 119
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 80
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 27
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 12
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 80
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 14
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 93
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 30
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 21
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 38

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department, law school library, university information technology department, other
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 20
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 350
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 1,500
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 60
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 250
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school
Does the school require entering students to own a computer? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 50,806
Total seats available for library users 596
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library has over 50,000 sqft,with a variety of seating, a quiet study room for users, and services including printing, copying, and faxing. The law school has classrooms, clinics and flexible spaces for student orgs and other needs. Wired and wireless capabilities are available. Auxiliary services such as grants and special events are housed at an off-site facility 1 block from the law school.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.3% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 76.4%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 464
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 69.2%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.6%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 8.2%
Graduates whose employment status is known 91.8%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 69.2%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 16.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.0%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.2%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.8%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 5.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 6.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 4.1%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $58,500
Median private sector starting salary $90,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 66%
Median public service starting salary $55,256

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.3%
Percent employed in business and industry 18.3%
Percent employed in government 21.1%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 12.1%
Percent employed in law firms 33.5%
Percent employed in public interest 13.1%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.5%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 52%
Graduates employed out-of-state 44.6%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 3%
Number of states where graduates are employed 33
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 2.9%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 11.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.6%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.5%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 71.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.8%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 3.9%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.6%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Office of Career & Professional Development provides career counseling, sponsors programs, and maintains on-line and hardcopy resources. Seven career counselors have JDs and prior experience in private practice, public interest, international, government, and judicial clerkships. The office organizes several recruitment programs for students seeking summer and post-graduate positions.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 59.2%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 91.6%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 19.7%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 74.7%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 2.4%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 81.8%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 2.2%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 50.0%