Georgetown University - Law Center

The “prestigious,” “ridiculously large,” and tangentially Jesuit Georgetown University Law Center is “a choose-your-own-adventure school” in “a prime downtown D.C. location.” “The sheer variety of the offerings is stunning,” declares a 2L. “If you are looking to do something, odds are there is a club, or a class, or a journal, or some other event on this campus that is targeted at that.” The range of courses is “extremely impressive and covers a broad spectrum of subjects.” Georgetown is “a particularly great choice for students looking for opportunities in public interest or government.” “Its international focus is without par,” and there are several study abroad programs offered. In addition to the traditional first-year curriculum, you can take an alternative set of 1L courses that emphasize the interconnected impact of government regulation and “concentrates on making law school applicable to the legal world.” The clinics “cover a breathtaking array of topics.” Internships and externships galore on Capitol Hill and all over D.C. during the academic year give students “a leg up on summer internships and future employment.” Another fabulous feature here is the Supreme Court Institute’s moot court program. Attorneys who are about to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court routinely practice their oral arguments on Georgetown’s campus “in front of professors” in “a perfect, scaled-down replica of the actual Supreme Court (right down to the carpeting).” “It’s remarkably educational to see an advocate’s dry run” and “then, a week later, actually go watch the same argument” for real.
Some of the “classes are very large [during the] first year” but faculty members are “very accessible” and they generally manage to “turn dull information into lively debate.” “The professors make all the reading and writing worthwhile,” encourage “diverse points of view, and [take] an interest in students’ academic, professional, and personal lives,” gushes a 3L. Professors are also “extremely accomplished” and they “bring fantastic experience and knowledge to the classroom.” Often, though, “the ‘big-name’ professors are the worst teachers because they just tell war stories that are irrelevant to the exam, albeit interesting.” Some students tell us that the top brass is “hardworking” and “surprisingly accessible for a big school.” “They definitely make a very conscious effort to make the school seem smaller,” opines a 1L. Other students say that “a ton of red tape” plagues Georgetown. “It seems like nothing is ever done on time,” they say, and the registrar is “sloppy and inefficient.”
Career Services staffers are “far from uber-helpful life coaches,” and “there is a general feeling among the student body that Career Services is more interested in statistics (e.g., how many students went to big firms) than in helping students find paths that will make them happy.” An optional first year program titled The Search Before the Search (SBTS) encourages students to reflect on their own strengths and interests while providing insight into the myriad opportunities available to Georgetown law graduates. The Georgetown brand has “an amazing domestic and international presence,” though. “A huge range of firms and government agencies” recruits on campus each year. The pool of alumni is colossal. “Georgetown has amazing support for public interest students” as well, including a stand-alone office tailored to help them “pursue careers and co-curricular options.” The biggest chunk of graduates stay in Washington, D.C., or head to New York City or California. About 50 percent go into private practice.
“The facilities are comfortable and more than adequate” here. Classrooms “are in great condition.” The five-story law library is “enjoyable to spend time in and has plenty of nooks and crannies.” The law school is located “away from the main campus.” But “ the proximity to SCOTUS (The Supreme Court), the Capitol, the White House, and the many international institutions in D.C. make for a special experience.”

Students at Georgetown Law are “very nice and good-natured, but really busy.” Minority representation clocks in at about 28 percent and people come from all over the planet and all manner of backgrounds. “There is truly a diversity of opinions” as well. “When you put together students from many different walks of life,” says a 2L, “you’re bound to have an eclectic environment which makes the law school experience more tolerable.”
Academically, there are “those few students with an exceptionally competitive attitude” but, for the most part, “students share notes, help each other, and actually want to work together.” “I would say the level of competition is moderate,” estimates a 1L. Outside of class, “extracurriculars are very popular.” “There are plenty of student organizations and there are always more activities on campus than are possible to attend.” “Famous speakers” are ubiquitous. Supreme Court justices “pop by all the time,” for example. The swanky, “state-of-the-art” fitness center is a “great escape from studying” and it’s exclusively for law students. Amenities include a swimming pool, racquetball courts, a full-size basketball court, and whirlpools. You can also take classes in spinning, yoga, dance, boxing, and much else. “A lot of the student body commutes from a good distance to school,” but “there is a buzzing social scene, particularly among 1Ls.” On the weekends, “students tend to go en masse to Dupont Circle and other parts of D.C.”