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)
(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.
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
% 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 r矇sum矇s, 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
Assisistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Address
4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Washington, DC 20016
Phone
202-274-4101
Email
wcladmit@wcl.american.edu
