HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL or WCL) is the
law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...
of
American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was cha ...
, a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
in Washington, D.C. It is located on the western side of Tenley Circle in the
Tenleytown Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, D.C. History In 1790, locals began calling the neighborhood "Tennally's Town" after area tavern owner John Tennally. Over time, the spelling has evolved and by the 19th century th ...
section of northwest Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...
and a member of the AALS. WCL is ranked 73rd in the nation in the ''Best Law Schools'' by '' U.S. News & World Report,'' and has highly ranked specialty programs in Clinical Training (#3), Trial Advocacy (#3), Part-Time Law (#5), International Law (#7), Intellectual Property (#8), and Health Care Law (#16). Begun in 1896, WCL was the first law school founded by women, the first with a female dean, and the first to graduate an all-female class.


History


Early beginnings

Ellen Spencer Mussey Ellen Spencer Mussey (1850 - 1936) was a lawyer, educator, and pioneer in the field of women's rights to legal education. She was the daughter of Platt Rogers Spencer, a reformer and promoter of the Spencerian Method, the widely used form of ha ...
and
Emma Gillett Emma Millinda Gillett (July 30, 1852 – January 23, 1927) was an American lawyer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the advancement of legal studies for women. After being denied from local law schools because of her gend ...
began teaching in Mussey's law offices in 1898 after they were approached by three women who wished to study with them. Not originally intending to create a full-fledged law school, they requested the law school of
Columbian College , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , presid ...
to accept the six women for their final year. When Columbian refused the request on the ground that "women did not have the mentality for law," the two women became determined to complete the students' education themselves and found a co-educational law school that was specifically open to women. Although Gillett was a graduate of
Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the ol ...
, Washington College of Law only accepted white applicants. With its first graduating class, the Washington College of Law became the first law school founded by women, the first with a female dean, and the first law school to graduate an all-female class. Mussey's male law clerk enrolled in 1897, making the school officially coeducational.


Continuing growth

Washington D.C. incorporated WCL in 1898. After several temporary locations, the school moved to the Le Droit Building on 8th & F Streets in 1900. Enrollment rose to 55 students by 1908 and doubled in five years to 128 students. Dean Mussey secured a lease in 1909 in the Chesley Building on New York Ave until the school outgrew the six-classroom lease. The school moved to its first permanent home in 1920, the former residence of Robert G. Ingersoll on K Street. Continually growing, WCL moved in 1924 to the former home of
Oscar Underwood Oscar Wilder Underwood (May 6, 1862 – January 25, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician from Alabama, and also a candidate for President of the United States in 1912 and 1924. He was the first formally designated floor leader in the Uni ...
and former residence of
Archibald Butt Archibald Willingham DeGraffenreid Clarendon Butt (September 26, 1865 – April 15, 1912) was an American Army officer and aide to presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. After a few years as a newspaper reporter, he served t ...
. WCL merged with American University in 1949 and graduated its first African American student in 1953. The Women & the Law Program was launched in 1948, to promote the integration of women's rights and gender studies into legal education, practice and doctrine. After years of work by Dean Myers, the John Sherman Myers Law School building was constructed on the
American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was cha ...
main campus and dedicated in 1963 by Chief Justice
Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitutio ...
. In the same year, U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) graduated from WCL after ten years of night-study classes, the first time a sitting member of
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
had begun and completed a law degree while serving. By 1988, WCL had grown to over 1,000 students. Dean Milstein pushed for a new building, and in 1996 WCL moved less than a mile to The John Sherman Myers and Alvina Reckman Myers Law Center on Massachusetts Avenue in the American University Park section of Northwest Washington, D.C. The building was two and a half times larger than the previous Myers building and included the new Pence Law Library.


Move to Tenley Campus

In April 2012, the D.C. Zoning Commission approved the plans for American University Washington College of Law to relocate from Spring Valley to American University's Tenley Campus. The approval of plans for further processing and zoning variances for the law school was handed down after American University's full campus plan was approved in March. Construction began in the summer of 2013, with the relocation of the law school to the new campus completed in early 2016. Spring 2016 semester classes began at the new campus on January 11, 2016.


Campus and facilities

The Washington College of Law is located on American University's Tenley Campus at 4300 Nebraska Avenue NW. on the northwest edge of Washington, DC, approximately 1 mile from the
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
state line. Construction on the Tenley Campus was completed in early 2016 and included three primary buildings: * Capital Hall - Historically preserved and renovated, this building includes administrative offices, student publications, four courtrooms, two classrooms, and an atrium. * Warren Building - Brand new construction, housing the Pence Law Library on two and a half floors, nine classrooms, the ceremonial courtroom, an active learning lab, and a roof deck. * Yuma Building - Brand new construction, housing 13 classrooms, faculty offices, clinical and international programs, dining, and Claudio Grossman Hall, which seats 500. The law school campus is less than a mile from the main American University campus; however, a shuttle system is available for students and staff to travel between the two locations. The campus is accessible to students and faculty 24/7 with the use of an AU ID card.


Pence Law Library

The Pence Law Library is , with more than 600,000 volumes, access to multiple databases, 14 group-study rooms and seating for over 600. The library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to students and faculty with the use of an AU ID card. The library collection includes European Community and US government depositories and the Baxter Collection in International Law. Students and faculty also have access to the university's library, the Library of Congress, specialized agency libraries, and other area law libraries electronically. The National Jurist placed WCL's Library 41st out of 199 in its Best Law Libraries ranking.


Academics

WCL's
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mo ...
(LL.M.) program ranked 13th nationally in the 2012 AUAP rankings. The Brian Leiter Law School rankings placed the WCL 47th in the 2012 Top 70 Law Faculties in Scholarly Impact. ''National Jurist'' ranked WCL the fifth best law school for Hispanic students in 2008. It ranked WCL the 4th best public interest law school in the nation. '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranks WCL 73rd in the nation among the 197 ranked schools. WCL's clinical training and trial advocacy programs are each ranked 3rd nationally while its part-time law program (5th), international law (7th), intellectual property law (8th), and health care law (16th) offerings are also ranked highly. The school maintains programs in both
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
and
public interest The public interest is "the welfare or well-being of the general public" and society. Overview Economist Lok Sang Ho in his ''Public Policy and the Public Interest'' argues that the public interest must be assessed impartially and, therefor ...
law. WCL's Equal Justice Foundation (EJF) provides scholarships to students who obtain unpaid summer internships with public interest organizations.


Enrollment

In 2021, the school had an acceptance rate of 37.94%. The 75th, 50th and 25th percentile undergraduate GPAs were 3.71, 3.57 and 3.39 respectively, while LSAT percentiles were 163, 161 and 157 respectively. There was 36% minority representation and 64% female representation in the 2021 entering class, with representation from 42 states and 28 countries.


Degrees offered

WCL offers the
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
(J.D.),
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mo ...
(LL.M.) in either international or constitutional law, and
Doctor of Juridical Science A Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD; ), or a Doctor of Science of Law (JSD; ), is a research doctorate in law equivalent to the more commonly awarded Doctor of Philosophy degree. Australia The S.J.D. is offered by the Australian National Univ ...
(S.J.D.) degrees.American University-Washington College of Law, "Admissions", http://www.wcl.american.edu/admissions.cfm (last visited July 16, 2008). The Washington College of Law now offers an online Master of Legal Studies degree. Additionally, students can enroll in one of several dual degree programs:


Clinical program

WCL's clinical program is one of the most comprehensive in the nation. The school was one of the first law schools to develop a modern clinical legal education program. With over 200 students participating in the 11 clinics every year, the program is one of the largest in the country. The clinic serves various clients, including immigrants and refugees, victims/survivors of domestic violence, juveniles, criminal defendants, low-income taxpayers, individuals seeking help with family law, consumer, disability, and intellectual property issues, community groups, and nonprofit organizations. Clinics include the General Practice Clinic, Community and Economic Development Law Clinic, Criminal Justice Clinic, DC Law Students in Court Clinic, Disability Rights Law Clinic, Domestic Violence Law Clinic, Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic, Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, Immigrant Justice Clinic, International Human Rights Law Clinic, and Women and the Law Clinic.


Study abroad programs

WCL's study abroad program is considered to be among the best in the country, with 30% of the student body studying abroad every year. In 2012, the ''National Jurist'' recognized it as one of the "most robust study abroad programs out of the 200 U.S. Law Schools." Students can study law for a semester in over 20 countries. WCL also offers summer abroad programs in London, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, and The Hague.


Programs and centers

WCL participates in several popular study-abroad and student exchange programs with universities worldwide. In 2002, the Jessup Moot Court Team was the top-ranked team in the United States and third in the World.


Online programs

WCL offers an online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) created for professionals who have law-related responsibilities. The MLS program provides professionals in a variety of industries with an understanding of the U.S. legal system, but it is not meant for students who want to become a practicing attorney. The program offers the following concentration tracks: General MLS, Business, Health Care Compliance, and Technology. Each concentration features fundamental legal training and industry-specific knowledge to improve students' ability to make informed decisions and legitimize their credibility with clients, co-workers, and partners. The MLS can be completed in as little as 15 months and does not require a GRE/LSAT.


Costs and student debt

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at WCL for the 2021–2022 academic year is $82,842. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $293,573. According to ''U.S. News & World Report'', the average indebtedness of 2020 AUWCL graduates who incurred law school debt was $159,723 (not including undergraduate debt), and 76% of 2020 graduates took on debt.


Employment outcomes

According to WCL's official 2020 ABA-required disclosures, 61.8% of the class of 2020 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, and 15% were employed in J.D.-preferred positions. Thirteen percent of the class of 2020 were seeking employment 9 months after graduation.


Publications


Notes and recognition

*The ''National Jurist'', in its 100 Best Law Review rankings, placed the ''American University Law Review'' 47th and the ''International Law Review'' 84th. *''Administrative Law Review'' is the official publication of the American Bar Association Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. *In 2005, the ABA recognized "The Business Law Brief" (since promoted to The American University Business Law Review) as the "Magazine of the Year." *On several occasions, the ABA has recognized ''The American Jurist'' as the "Best Law Student Magazine."


Noted people


Notable current and former faculty


Notable alumni


Judiciary


=Federal

=


=State

=


Politics and government


=Federal

=


=State

=


=International

=


Education, business, media, and entertainment


References


External links


Washington College of Law website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington College Of Law American University Washington College of Law (American University) Former women's universities and colleges in the United States Educational institutions established in 1896 1896 establishments in Washington, D.C.