Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center History

Georgetown University Georgetown University Law Center was established in 1870 and is a private institution. The 6.16-acre campus is in an urban area in Washington, D.C. Drawing on its Jesuit heritage, Georgetown Law has a strong tradition of public service and is dedicated to the principle that ‘law is but a means, justice is the end’. Georgetown Law has built an environment that cultivates an exchange of ideas and the pursuit of academic excellence. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Washington area. Other resources include the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts, the U.S. Congress, and major federal departments and agencies, many of which are within walking distance. The Law Center campus includes two buildings. The Hotung International Law Center contains its own international and comparative law library, a state-of-the-art moot court room, and extensive classroom and meeting space; the sport and fitness complex has a cyber caf

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M., S.J.D., and LL.M. concentrations are available in international legal studies, taxation, securities and financial regulation, and individualized studies. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./Govt. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Philosophy in Government), J.D./LL.M (Juris Doctor/Master of Laws in taxation), J.D./M.A.A.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Arab studies), J.D./M.A.G.E.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in German and European studies), J.D./M.A.L.A.S (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts Latin American studies), J.D./M.A.R.E.E.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Eurasian, Russian, and East European studies), J.D./M.A.S.S.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Security Studies), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), J.D./M.P.P. (Juris Doctor/Master in Public Policy), J.D./M.S.F.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in foreign science), and J.D./Phil. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy).

The Georgetown University Law Center offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, entertainment law, environmental law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, juvenile law, labor law, litigation, maritime law, securities law, tax law, torts and insurance, commercial law, constitutional law and government, and administrative law and government. In addition, the Law Center offers 13 in-house clinical courses with credits from 6 to 14 per semester. Clinics include appellate advocacy, criminal defense, and civil rights. More than 200 seminars are offered on such topics as environmental law, intellectual property law, and international law. Many students pursue externships with government agencies, judges, international law firms, non-governmental organizations, and corporate in-house legal departments. Supervised research projects may be undertaken for 2 credits under the guidance of a faculty member. Some courses involve field work. Several special lecture series held each academic year bring prominent legal scholars, judges, lawyers, and business executives to the Law Center. There is a 4-week study-abroad summer program in London, for up to 6 credits. The Law Center also offers several semester abroad programs in Argentina, China, England, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Singapore. The tutorial program is offered to all students, however it is primarily designed for first-year students. Each of the first-year sections is assigned an upper-class tutor who meets with students on a weekly basis. The Career Services Office offers a diversity clerkship program and other educational programs, which are also sponsored by minority student groups. The Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) assists graduates in public interest and government jobs with their law school loans. In addition, the Public Interest Law Scholars Program (PILS) provides scholarships and other assistance to 8 members of each entering class, and the student-run Equal Justice Foundation provides stipends to students accepting unpaid summer internships with nonprofit or government organizations. The most widely taken electives are Constitutional Law II, Corporations, and Evidence.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 85 total credits, of which 33 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 1.67 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Bargain, Exchange and Liability, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Justice, Democracy and Coercion, Elective (1), Government Processes, Legal Justice Seminar, Legal Practice: Writing and Analysis, Legal Process and Society, Legal Research and Writing, Property, Property in Time, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of legal writing seminar or supervised research and writing project and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 4-day program including a review of academic services and student activities, an introduction to first-year course work, a series of talks by the faculty on legal topics as well as faculty guided tours of historical and legal sites in Washington D.C., and an address by the University president and Law Center dean.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and Professional Responsibility course.

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 562,986 hard-copy volumes and 589,515 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 8883 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, DIALOG, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, Mathew Bender, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, Wilsonline Indexes, OCLC, and FirstSearch are available to law students for research. Special library collections include rare books as well as international law and tax collections. Recently, the library opened the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library, a separate 25,000 NSF branch library. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 4938 to 1 and to students is 283 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 2.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by means of an outreach program that encourages qualified minority and disadvantaged students to apply. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit and have attended an ABA-approved law school.

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 10732 applied, 2514 were accepted, and 583 enrolled. Ninety-three transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 98; the median GPA was 3.67 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 44; the highest was 99.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include academic achievement, LSAT results, and life experience. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is February 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $80, 1 letter of recommendation, and transcripts must be received through the LSDAS; resume is also required. Notification of the admissions decision is approximately 6 to 12 weeks. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center Financial Aid

About 87% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $38,430; maximum, $59,600. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the CSS Profile, the FAFSA, and Need Access Application. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application after acceptance and completion of financial aid requirements. Awards are given on a rolling basis.

Georgetown University, Georgetown University Law Center Students

About 43% of the student body are women; 24%, minorities; 9%, African American; 9%, Asian American; 5%, Hispanic; and 3%, foreign nationals. The average age of entering students is 25; age range is 19 to 59. About 30% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 14% have a graduate degree, and 70% have worked full-time prior to entering law school.

Student-edited publications include the Georgetown Law Journal, American Criminal Law Review, Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, The Tax Lawyer, Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, Georgetown Journal of International Law, and the newspaper, Georgetown Law Weekly. Other publications include The Bright Line. Georgetown competes in 12 moot court competitions, including Jessup International Law, Cardozo/BMI Moot Court and Wechsler First Amendment competitions. The Law Center sponsors the Beaudry Cup Moot Court, Leahy Prize Moot Court, and the William W. Greenhalgh Mock Trial competitions. There are 75 student organizations, including Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, Equal Justice Foundation, the Federalist Society, and American Constitution Society. There are local chapters of the Student Bar Association, Christian Legal Society, and International Law Society. Campus clubs include Amnesty International, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and Black Law Students Association.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years. For part-time students, courses and electives are offered in the evening, but students have the option of taking other courses both during the day and in the evening, and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.