Washington College of Law
Encyclopedia
American University Washington College of Law (WCL) is the law school
of American University
. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue
in the Spring Valley
neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report. The school is accredited
by the American Bar Association
.
. U.S. News ranks it 50th in the nation overall. In 2007-08, WCL was recognized as the most diverse top-tier law school in the Washington, D.C. area, and the third most diverse among top-tier law schools in the nation in U.S. News' index of diversity recognized. Its master of laws
(LL.M.) program ranks 13th nationally in the 2008 AUAP rankings.
WCL is also known for its strong programs in both human rights
and public interest
work. WCL offers grant money through the Equal Justice Foundation
for students working in the public sector and offers special loan repayment assistance programs.
of 163 (out of 180), a score which is higher than roughly 90 percent of all test-takers nationwide. WCL ranks 9th in racial diversity among top law schools. All 50 United States and over 60 foreign countries are represented.
(J.D.), Master of Laws
(LL.M.) in either international law or constitutional law, and Doctor of Juridical Science
(S.J.D.) degrees
. Additionally, students can enroll in one of several dual degree programs offered at WCL, including a J.D./M.A. program with the School of International Service
, J.D./M.B.A. and L.L.M/M.B.A programs with the Kogod School of Business
, and J.D/M.P.P and L.L.M./M.P.P. with the School of Public Affairs.
state line. It lies within the boundaries of a residential neighborhood. WCL's six-story building is located at 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, with another set of offices located down the street at 4910 Massachusetts Avenue.
WCL participates in several popular study abroad and student exchange programs with universities around the world, including a semester-long program with the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong
.
In 2002, the Jessup Moot Court Team was the top ranked team in the United States and Third in the World.
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
of American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
in the Spring Valley
Spring Valley, Washington, D.C.
Spring Valley is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., known for its large homes and tree-lined streets.The neighborhood houses the main campus of American University at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, the Wesley Theological Seminary at 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, and Washington College...
neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report. The school is accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
by the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
.
History
WCL was founded in 1896 by Ellen Spencer Mussey and Emma Gillett in response to a lack of legal educational opportunities for women in the region. Mussey herself learned the law by apprenticeship at her husband's law offices. She was rejected by several schools in the area, including the National University School of Law, which later merged into the George Washington University Law School, because "women did not have the mentality for the law." She and Gillett began teaching in Mussey's law offices after they were approached by three women who wished to study with them. With its first graduating class, the Washington College of Law became the first law school to be founded by women, and also the first law school to graduate an all-female class. The "single-sex" education did not last long however: Mussey's male law clerk enrolled in 1897. WCL officially became part of American University in 1949.Rankings
WCL is well known for its Clinical, International Law, Trial Advocacy, and Intellectual Property programs, which are ranked 2nd, 5th, 11th, and 16th in the nation, respectively, by U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. U.S. News ranks it 50th in the nation overall. In 2007-08, WCL was recognized as the most diverse top-tier law school in the Washington, D.C. area, and the third most diverse among top-tier law schools in the nation in U.S. News' index of diversity recognized. Its master of laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M.) program ranks 13th nationally in the 2008 AUAP rankings.
WCL is also known for its strong programs in both human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and public interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
work. WCL offers grant money through the Equal Justice Foundation
Equal Justice Foundation
The Equal Justice Foundation is the name used by many public interest law organizations at American law schools. EJF organizations are typically members of Equal Justice Works , a national coalition of public interest law student organizations...
for students working in the public sector and offers special loan repayment assistance programs.
Enrollment
WCL enrolls 1,646 students, 58 percent of whom are female. For the 2008 admissions cycle, WCL received 8,845 applications for 474 available seats in the Juris Doctor program. The admissions rate was 21%.http://www.wcl.american.edu/admiss/profile.cfm The 2009 incoming class had a median undergraduate GPA of 3.41 and a median LSATLaw School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
of 163 (out of 180), a score which is higher than roughly 90 percent of all test-takers nationwide. WCL ranks 9th in racial diversity among top law schools. All 50 United States and over 60 foreign countries are represented.
Degrees offered
WCL offers the Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.), Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M.) in either international law or constitutional law, and Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of the Science of Law, Scientiae Juridicae Doctor , abbreviated J.S.D. or S.J.D., is a research doctorate in law and equivalent to the PhD It is offered primarily in the United States, where it originated, and in Canada...
(S.J.D.) degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
. Additionally, students can enroll in one of several dual degree programs offered at WCL, including a J.D./M.A. program with the School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
, J.D./M.B.A. and L.L.M/M.B.A programs with the Kogod School of Business
Kogod School of Business
The Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
, and J.D/M.P.P and L.L.M./M.P.P. with the School of Public Affairs.
Campus
The campus is located in the northwest edge of Washington, D.C., near the MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
state line. It lies within the boundaries of a residential neighborhood. WCL's six-story building is located at 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, with another set of offices located down the street at 4910 Massachusetts Avenue.
Programs and centers
- Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian LawAcademy on Human Rights and Humanitarian LawThe Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is one of many specialized departments found within the American University Washington College of Law located in Washington, D.C...
- Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian lawCenter for Human Rights and Humanitarian lawThe Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law was founded in 1990 as a way to coordinate all the human rights and humanitarian law activities at WCL...
- Clinical Program
- Externship Program
- Health Law Project
- Humphrey Fellowship Program (Fulbright Exchange)
- Center for International Arbitration
- International Legal Studies Program (ILSP)
- International Visiting Scholars Program
- Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project
- National Institute of Military Justice
- National Institute of Corrections/WCL Project on Addressing Prison Rape
- Office of Public Interest
- Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property
- Program on International and Comparative Environmental Law
- Program on Law & Government
- Special Events & Continuing Legal Education
- Trial Advocacy Program
- UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation ClinicUNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation ClinicThe UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic is a student litigation and advocacy project at American University's Washington College of Law....
- War Crimes Research Office
- Women & International Law Program
- Women & the Law Program
WCL participates in several popular study abroad and student exchange programs with universities around the world, including a semester-long program with the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong is a comprehensive research university in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. It has achieved fast growth in recent years and received international recognition for its academic achievements...
.
In 2002, the Jessup Moot Court Team was the top ranked team in the United States and Third in the World.
Publications
- Administrative Law ReviewAdministrative Law ReviewThe Administrative Law Review was established in 1948 and is the official law journal of the American Bar Association Section of Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice.-Overview:...
- The Alternative Dispute Resolution Newsletter
- The American Jurist
- The American University International Law Review (which publishes ASILAmerican Society of International LawThe American Society of International Law is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization, based in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1906, and was chartered by the United States Congress in 1950...
's annual Grotius LectureGrotius LecturesThe Grotius Lectures is a series of annual lectures sponsored by the American Society of International Law since 1999. The lecture is named in honour of the famous Dutch jurist, Hugo Grotius , considered by many to be the 'father of international law.' Over the past decade, the lecture has been...
). - The American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law
- The American University Law Review
- The American University Business Law Review
- The Criminal Law Brief
- The Human Rights Brief
- The Intellectual Property Brief
- The Modern American
- National Security Law Brief
- Sustainable Development Law & Policy
- Health Law & Policy
- Legislation & Policy Brief
Notable current/former faculty
- Kristine Huskey
- Stephen Wermiel
- Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (professor)Paul R. Williams holds the Rebecca Grazier Professorship in Law and International Relations at American University, where he teaches in the School of International Service and the Washington College of Law...
- Michael TigarMichael TigarMichael E. Tigar is an American criminal defense attorney known for representing controversial clients. He is also a member of the Duke Law School faculty.-Early life and education:...
- Jamie RaskinJamie RaskinJamie Raskin is an American law professor and politician. He teaches at American University, Washington College of Law, in Washington, D.C. He serves as the Director of the college's LL.M. program on Law and Government...
- Stephen I. Vladeck
- Judith A. WinstonJudith A. WinstonJudith A. Winston is a lawyer and law professor, former General Counsel of the US Department of Education, and was one of the lead members of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's Agency Review teams for the Departments of Education and Labor...
- Gregory StantonGregory StantonGregory H. Stanton is the founder and president of Genocide Watch, the founder and director of the Cambodian Genocide Project, and the founder and Chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide...
- Michael W. CarrollMichael W. CarrollMichael W. Carroll is a Professor of Law and Director of the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property at American University's Washington College of Law. Carroll is one of the founding Board Members of Creative Commons, a not-for-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of...
- Claudio GrossmanClaudio GrossmanClaudio Grossman is a lawyer and law professor. He is the dean of the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C.. Grossman served as vice chair of the United Nations Committee Against Torture and now as Chair . He is a former member of the Inter-American Commission on...
Notable alumni
- Ilan BermanIlan BermanIlan I. Berman is Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, a non-profit U.S. foreign policy think tank in Washington, DC. He focuses on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation...
, Vice President of the American Foreign Policy CouncilAmerican Foreign Policy CouncilThe American Foreign Policy Council is a conservative non-profit U.S. foreign policy think tank operating in Washington, D.C., since 1982... - Robert ByrdRobert ByrdRobert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
, former United States Senator. (D-WV) - John DeanJohn DeanJohn Wesley Dean III is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel to United States President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. In this position, he became deeply involved in events leading up to the Watergate burglaries and the subsequent Watergate scandal cover-up...
, White House Counsel to President Richard M. Nixon and key Watergate scandal figure - Tom GoldsteinTom GoldsteinThomas C. Goldstein is an American attorney famous as an advocate before and blogger about the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a founding partner of Goldstein and Howe, a Washington, D.C. firm specializing in Supreme Court litigation, and was, until the end of 2010, a partner at Akin...
, co-founder of the firm Goldstein and Howe, and co-founder of Scotusblog. - Kim GuadagnoKim GuadagnoKim Guadagno is the first Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, having won the 2009 election as the running mate of Governor Chris Christie. She is also concurrently the Secretary of State of New Jersey.-Early life:...
(class of 1983), first female sheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Monmouth County, New JerseyMonmouth County, New JerseyMonmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
and first ever Lieutenant Governor of New JerseyLieutenant Governor of New JerseyThe Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is a position that has existed since January 2010, following conjoint election with the Governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005... - Henry E. HudsonHenry E. HudsonHenry E. Hudson is a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.-Early life and education:...
, judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of VirginiaUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of VirginiaThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
, and the first judge to rule against the ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
administration's health care reform lawPatient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress... - Manjaagiin IchinnorovManjaagiin IchinnorovIchinnorov Manjaa is a Mongolian civil rights activist, born in the Khovd Province of Western Mongolia. She was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Award “For Fighting against Social Injustices with Peaceful Means” in September 2007 by the Government of India...
- Mongolian human rights activist - Joe JohnsJoe JohnsJoe Johns is a CNN correspondent based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He previously worked as an NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent for TODAY and other NBC programs. He also worked as an anchor for WSAZ-TV in 1980....
, CNN correspondent based in the Washington, D.C. Bureau. - Joseph T. KelliherJoseph T. KelliherJoseph Timothy Kelliher is an American energy executive and former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ....
- an American energy executive and former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionFederal Energy Regulatory CommissionThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
(FERC). - Juliane KokottJuliane KokottJuliane Kokott is the German Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union and Professor at the University of St. Gallen.- Biography :Juliane Kokott studied law in Bonn and Geneva...
, German Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Communities (EJC) and Professor at the University of St. Gallen - Rick LazioRick LazioEnrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. Lazio became well known nationally when he ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election...
, former Congressman (R-NY) and lawyer. - Thomas Downey, former Congressman (D-NY) and head of Downey McGrath Group.
- Gerald Bruce LeeGerald Bruce LeeGerald Bruce Lee is currently serving as judge on the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia, commonly referred to as the "Rocket Docket.".-Education and career highlights:...
, Federal district judge. - Roy LeeRoy LeeRoy Lee is an American film producer who regularly takes well known Asian films and remakes them for American audiences. Examples include The Ring, The Grudge and The Departed...
, film producer (The DepartedThe DepartedThe Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
and The RingThe Ring- Film :* The Ring , a film by Alfred Hitchcock* The Ring , a film by Kurt Neumann* The Ring , a film by Armand Mastroianni...
) - M. Peter McPhersonM. Peter McPhersonM. Peter McPherson was a special assistant to President Gerald Ford, head of USAID under President Ronald Reagan, president of Michigan State University from 1993 to 2004, and Chairman of Dow Jones beginning in 2007....
, special assistant to President Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, head of USAID under President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, president of Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
from 1993 to 2004, and Chairman of Dow Jones beginning in 2007. - Sophia A. NelsonSophia A. NelsonSophia A. Nelson is an American author, political strategist, opinion writer, and attorney. Sophia Nelson was born in Munich, Germany and grew up in Somerdale, New Jersey. She attended and graduated from San Diego State University. She was the first African-American woman elected to a major...
, Attorney and Political Commentator. - Alice PaulAlice PaulAlice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
, notable suffragist. - Kirill ReznikKirill ReznikKirill Reznik is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. He is one of three members of the Maryland House of Delegates from District 39...
, State Delegate (D-Md), Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
. - Dan SlaterDan SlaterDan Slater was the first vice chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. An attorney in Cañon City, Colorado, Slater ran unsuccessfully for the Colorado State Senate in 2002 before joining the top leadership of the Colorado Democratic Party in 2003...
, Vice Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. - Ed TapscottEd TapscottEd Tapscott is the former interim head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards.-Coaching:Tapscott, a graduate of Tufts University and American University Washington College of Law, was an assistant to Gary Williams at American University in the 1970s while a law student, and took over head coaching...
, Head coach of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
NBA team. - Hugo Teufel IIIHugo Teufel IIIHugo Teufel III was appointed as Chief Privacy Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security by Secretary Michael Chertoff on 21 July 2006, after a ten-month vacancy that was filled by acting Chief Privacy Officer, Maureen C. Cooney...
, Former [Chief Privacy Officer]] of the Department of Homeland Security. - Reggie WaltonReggie WaltonReggie Barnett Walton is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.-Early life and education :...
, Federal district judge. - Juan Mari BrásJuan Mari BrásJuan Mari Brás was an advocate for Puerto Rican independence from the United States who founded the Puerto Rican Socialist Party...
, Puerto Rico political leader. - Judith SheindlinJudith SheindlinJudith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy, and is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick...
, TV judge "Judge JudyJudge JudyJudge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
" (although she later transferred to the New York Law School)