Overview

Applicants
4,058
Acceptance Rate
50%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.45
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
397

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
155 - 160

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
March 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$70

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
7:1
Total Faculty
224

46.1
Female
18.5
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

American University's Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., offers a renowned program in international law. The school is one of the top programs for foreign attorneys, and “the international opportunities for gaining real world experience are exceptional.” In addition, “the legal writing program is superb,” and all aspects are only strengthened by the school's cutting-edge legal fields and close proximity to the nation's courts. Thanks to that, the school places more than 350 students in externships each year, ranging from government agencies to public interest organizations, and it offers summer abroad programs in Geneva, London, Brussels, and The Hague. Additionally, 10 in-house clinics let students represent low-income and under-represented clients in areas ranging from Disability Rights to Federal Income Tax, which is great since “many people are interested in public interest/government” with “a large number of human rights-minded students” in attendance. On the topic of the school's abundance of social activism, one student shares, “I'm deeply impressed by the student body's desire to give back.”

At AU, professors “are well-connected … and will go the extra mile to help students with academics or career prospects.” There is “ample opportunity to connect with professors to learn about getting into a particular field,” and teachers also “really care about the school as a whole.” They “are very intertwined with the administration,” which “creates an environment where you aren't terrified of taking a sick day,” as one enrollee puts it. The administration even “gives lunch vouchers to professors to take students to lunch and get to know them.” Other recent administrative initiatives include “establishing the ‘Office of Academic Excellence' for academic advising and bar support” and offering a bar preparation course. Beyond that, career counselors “are available year-round to advise students on professionalism and career development,” and “the alumni network in D.C. is formidable, particularly with regard to public interest and government work.” The school's reputation and location are such that it “is constantly hosting events that bring amazing individuals to campus, which are often free to students,” and “the extracurricular programs, including law review, clinic, [and] moot court … are tailored to several areas of the law, enabling students to pursue their unique legal interests.” One student says of the nearby Red Line, “We are a small hop to the most accessible metro which allows for amazing internship opportunities you cannot get anywhere else.” Another shares that “the school's location also provides for excellent adjunct professors who are knowledgeable in their field of specialty.” As for facilities, they “are amazing and [the] technology is … advanced.” Students are big fans of the law library in particular, which “is full of natural light … [and] really great for studying.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
62%
Median Starting Salary
$68,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
82%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
48%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
189

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Bloomberg BNA; Buckley LLP; CACI International, Inc.; Circuit Court for Montgomery County; Circuit Court for the City of Baltimore; Covington & Burling LLP; D.C. Court of Appeals; D.C. Office of the Attorney General; District Attorney's Office, Bronx County; District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County; Erickson Immigration Group; Ernst & Young; Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP; Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney; Office of the State Public Defender, Colorado; Ropes & Gray LLP; Shearman & Sterling LLP; Steptoe & Johnson LLP; Superior Court of the District of Columbia; New York County District Attorney's Office; U.S. Army JAG Corps; U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Navy JAG Corps; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Venable LLP; White & Case LLP

Graduates Employed by Area

28%
Private Practice
19%
Government
12%
Business/Industry
12%
Judicial Clerkships
9%
Public Interes
2%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

60%
South
9%
Mid-Atlantic
3%
Pacific
2%
International
2%
MidWest
2%
South West
2%
New England
1%
Mountain

Prominent Alumni

David Julius King, III
Head of Employee Experience, Diversity and Belonging at Shopify

Honorable Reggie Walton
Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Gal Kaufman
Senior Counsel, Holland & Knight

Jamie Underwood
Partner and Global IP Strategist, Latham & Watkins LLP

Claudia Lewis
Partner, Venable LLP

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1
Application Deadlines
Apr 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$62,223

% Students Receiving Some Aid
91%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$55,572
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$18,360
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$18,360
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$6,838
Fees
$1,140

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
1,315
Parent Institution Enrollement
13,347

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
30
Average Age at Entry
24

% International
4%

Demographics

33.36%
% Under-represented Minorities

83% are full time
17% are part time
63% female
37% male

Campus Life

Students Say

The campus is “located in a quiet part of D.C. [that's] still easily accessible to internships downtown,” and the school “utilizes the nation's capital well as an additional resource for students.” Here you'll find a “supportive and cooperative” group wherein “the majority of students identify as liberal and are passionate about their views,” but “differences of opinion are respected.” There's a sense of camaraderie, and students “routinely help one another find jobs and internships, edit each other's résumés, and rely on each other for networking opportunities.” The university “does a great job of getting students to create social bonds with one another,” which “encourages students' health and well-being.” And that starts early: Orientation week “is replete with events that are great networking and icebreaking opportunities,” and the school “does an excellent job at choosing students and curating a harmonious community.” Continuing throughout the year, there are “numerous student organizations and student social events,” meaning “free pizza [is] always available.” Students “are always eager to participate in strictly social gatherings as well as social gatherings based in an academic or activist project.” Overall, “this is such a happy campus,” and “everybody is close like a modern family.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Akira Shiroma
Assisistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Address
4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Phone
202-274-4101

Email
wcladmit@wcl.american.edu