GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER

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1 rank 14 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER 1-3 mailing address 600 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC main phone website registrar s Phone admissions phone career services phone Overview 4-6 Georgetown University Law Center began in 1870 and was the first law school established in the United States by a Jesuit institution of higher learning. Located at the foot of Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, Georgetown Law offers its students access to the Congress, the Supreme Court, and numerous agencies, administrative boards, and commissions of the federal government and the District of Columbia. Georgetown Law educates an exceptionally talented and diverse student body for legal practice and the pursuit of justice. In addition to a wide variety of courses in more than 27 traditional legal fields, the school s curriculum provides numerous opportunities in courses and clinics for students to develop the problem solving, negotiation, and mediation skills modern legal practice demands. Georgetown Law s extensive international law curriculum and numerous multidisciplinary courses and programs also enable students to prepare themselves for a profession that is increasingly global and interdisciplinary. Students may pursue their legal education through the full-time program or a part-time program curriculum. Several joint degrees are offered, through which students may combine their legal education with a business degree or the study of international affairs, public health, public policy, government, or philosophy. The Edward Bennett Williams Law Library and the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library contain extensive collections of print and microform material available for the use of the Georgetown community and legal scholars worldwide. Student-Faculty Ratio :1 Admission Criteria 8 LSAT GPA 25 th -75 th Percentile Median* The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

2 The above LSAT and GPA data pertain to the 2012 entering class. *Medians have been calculated by averaging the 25th- and 75th-percentile values released by the law schools and have been rounded up to the nearest whole number for LSAT scores and to the nearest one-hundredth for GPAs. Admission Statistics 9 Approximate number of applications 8,087 Number accepted 2,296 Percentage accepted 28.4% The above admission details are based on 2012 data. Class Ranking and Grades 10 Georgetown University Law Center does not rank its students. The Law Center s faculty awards the grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D and F. Some courses available to upper class students are graded under the Pass/Fail option and in the clinical programs, the graduate fellows also participate in the grading process. The following numerical equivalents are assigned to each letter grade: A A 4.00 A B B 3.00 B C C 2.00 C D 1.00 F 0.00 An A+ grade is assigned a 4.00 numerical equivalent, and is awarded in recognition of truly extraordinary academic performance. A student s cumulative grade point average is computed by multiplying the numerical equivalent of each letter grade by the credit value of the course, adding the results together, and then dividing the total by the total number of credits. While the cumulative grade point average is based upon all the student s Georgetown Law grades, the annual grade point average is based only upon the student s grades for one academic year. In calculating the student s cumulative grade point average, the Law Center includes 162 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

3 the academic credits for any course the student has failed, even when the student has successfully retaken the course. Pass/Fail Option Students decide whether to use the Pass/Fail option for a course. First-year JD students are not permitted to use the Pass/Fail option. Upper-class JD students are eligible to use the Pass/Fail option for upper-class electives at the Law Center and at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies, and cross-listed law center graduate courses that are available for Pass/Fail. Grade Normalization (Curve) 11 The following is the faculty-approved recommended curve for all first-year and upper-level examination courses. The faculty also established a grade of A+ to be recorded on official law school transcripts in recognition of truly extraordinary academic performance in a law school class. A 12% A- 19% B+ 28% B 31%* B- C+ C C- D F 5-10%* * Because the target percentage for B- and below is a range, rather than a specific number, the target percentage of B grades can increase by one percent for every percent below 10 percent that a faculty member decides to award grades of B- and below. 12, 13 Honors Honor Criteria Order of the Coif Top 10% summa cum laude magna cum laude Top 10% cum laude Dean s List GPA of 3.70 or higher (based upon the cumulative grade point average and granted at the sole discretion of the faculty) Top one-third Top one-third Directors List Distinction Top 15% 163 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

4 Awards 14 Name of Award ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in Health Care Law ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in Intellectual Property Law ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in Labor and Employment Law ALI/ABA Scholarship and Leadership Award American Bankruptcy Institute Medal American Bankruptcy Law Journal Student Prize American Bar Association Section of Urban, State, and Local Government Law Certificate of Recognition Baker & McKenzie Law Student Assistance Program Beaudry Cup The Bellamy Negotiation Competition CALI Excellence for the Future Award Joyce Chiang Memorial Award Jeffrey Crandall Award Dean s Certificate Kathleen Stowe Dixon Visiting Student Prize Dean Hugh J. Fegan Memorial Prize Michael Feldman Advocacy Award Georgetown Club of Metropolitan Washington, DC Award Georgetown Law Journal Meritorious Service Award Alan J. Goldstein Memorial Award Awarded for/to Up to three graduating students for having the highest GPA in a basic Health Law course or for outstanding performance in this field. Up to three graduating students for having the highest GPA in a basic Intellectual Property Law course or for outstanding performance in this field. Up to three graduating students for having the highest GPA in a basic Labor and/or Employment Law course or for outstanding performance in this field. The student who best represents leadership and scholarship. Excellence in Bankruptcy Law. The highest grade in any bankruptcy class at any accredited United States law school. The best student in Land Use and Local Government Law. First-year minority students. The best advocates of the first-year class. The students who best demonstrate skillful handling of a simulated legal negotiation with their peers. Each student receiving the top grade in a law school course. A student committed to public service. A student committed to legal aid who exemplifies the ideals and commitment of the late Jeffrey Crandall. Outstanding service to the Georgetown Law community. The visiting student with the highest GPA during his or her year at Georgetown University Law Center. The best overall academic record at the conclusion of the first year. An outstanding advocate in the Criminal Justice Clinic. The best overall academic performance. Up to four members who have made outstanding contributions to the Georgetown Law Journal. The student in the Criminal Justice Clinic who best demonstrates intelligence, creativity, and resourcefulness in defending criminal clients and a dedication to criminal law, fair play, and justice. 164 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

5 Greenfield Trial Practice Awards Nelson T. Hartson Memorial Award Deborah K. Hauger Memorial Fellowship Fund Kirby S. Howlett III Memorial Award International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award Juvenile Justice Clinic Public Service Award Kappa Beta Pi Prize Milton A. Kaufman Prize Charles A. Keigwin Award Substantial monetary awards to help defray the cost of student loans given to several students in the Criminal Justice Clinic who have accepted jobs as prosecutors and as public defenders A graduating student in the JD program on the basis of scholastic achievement, economic need, or a combination of the two factors A graduate to facilitate the study of issues in international affairs, specifically in the realm of peacekeeping in developing nations. A recent graduate who has participated in the Criminal Justice Clinic or the Juvenile Justice Clinic, taken out student loans while attending Georgetown Law, and upon graduation accepts employment at a public defender s office. Trial clinic students who excel at advocacy. A graduating Juvenile Justice Clinic student who has accepted a job providing service to the community. The highest academic average after the first year. The best work for the year on the Georgetown Law Journal. The best overall academic record after the first year. John F. Kennedy Labor Law Award The best overall performance in the field of labor law. Leahy Moot Court Competition Francis E. Lucey, S.J. Award James John McTigue Essay Award George Brent Mickum III Prize Saint Thomas More Award National Association of Women Lawyers Award Vincent G. Panati Memorial Award Bettina E. Pruckmayr Memorial Award Leon Robbin Patent Award Sewall Key Prize Tutorial Program Award Washington Law Reporter Prize The winner of the Leahy Moot Court Competition. The student with the highest academic average for his or her law school career. The author of the best seminar paper. The highest academic average in first-year courses. The top three graduating journal members for outstanding work on the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. Academic excellence and contribution to the advancement of women in society. The best combined scholastic record in Criminal Justice courses. Commitment to human rights. Annually to the graduating student who has done the best work in the field of patent law. The best work in taxation. Outstanding contributions to Georgetown Law s academic program. The best contribution to the success of the Student Bar Association. 165 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

6 Journals The Georgetown Law Journal, founded in 1912, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law journals in the nation. Its six annual issues serve as an important forum for the legal community. The journal publishes articles on timely issues by professors and practitioners, solicits reviews of recent books, coordinates symposia on important topics, and produces thoughtful student notes. It is the flagship law review of Georgetown University Law Center. It publishes the widely used Annual Review of Criminal Procedure (ARCP). 15 The American Criminal Law Review is the most-cited criminal law review in the nation and ranks among the country s most-cited law reviews of any kind. It publishes student work both in its print publications and on its website. In addition to its three general issues per year, the ACLR also publishes the Annual Survey of White 16, 17 Collar Crime, a comprehensive guide to yearly developments in the field. The Georgetown Immigration Law Journal is the student-edited law journal devoted exclusively to the study of immigration law. It is published quarterly and is dedicated to exploring and critically analyzing international and domestic events as they shape the field of immigration law. Each issue features articles by scholars and legal practitioners, as well as a significant number of student notes and a section reviewing current developments in immigration. 18 The Georgetown International Environmental Law Review is published four times per year by students of Georgetown University Law Center. Attempts to confront and resolve global and trans-boundary environmental problems have created the need for a legal forum to provide analyses of these issues. The Georgetown International Environmental Law Review was created to meet this need, and its location in Washington, DC, facilitates contact with key domestic and foreign governmental institutions as well as international and environmental practitioners. 19 The Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law is in its twelfth year of publication. Its mission is to explore the impact of gender, sexuality, and race on both the theory and practice of law. It complements a long tradition of feminist scholarship and advocacy at Georgetown University Law Center and seeks to complement the critical work being done by existing feminist journals while expanding inquiries into the intersection between gender, sexuality, and race. 20 The Georgetown Journal of International Law was formerly known as Law and Policy in International Business. It has changed its name and expanded its scope to include issues of general international law. It publishes four annual issues that serve as invaluable resources to scholars, corporate and international bars, and practitioners. It also provides a preeminent educational opportunity for students to gain a greater understanding of a wide range of international topics while working with leading scholars in the field. 21 The Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy is published biannually by students of the Georgetown University Law Center. It is a scholarly legal journal with a focus on conservative, libertarian, and natural law thought. 22 The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics is published by students of the Georgetown University Law Center. The journal was founded in 1987 to exemplify the mission and mandate of the legal profession articulated in Canon 32 of the Canons of Professional Ethics which was approved by the American Bar Association in The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

7 Through its four annual issues and featured symposia, the journal aspires to serve as the main forum for the discussion and development of the most compelling and pertinent issues currently affecting both the Bench and the Bar. 23 The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy is the nation s premier law journal on poverty issues. It features student research, works from scholars in poverty-related disciplines, and the voices of persons living in poverty. In pursuit of distinctive and seminal scholarship, the journal adopts focus areas for each of its three annual issues. It is committed to bringing international attention to these and other issues of substantial importance to society s less advantaged. Consistent with its mission, the journal is also actively involved in local community outreach and works with legal and social service organizations to provide assistance to those in need. 24 The Tax Lawyer is published by the Section of Taxation of the American Bar Association with the assistance of the Georgetown University Law Center and its students. It offers scholarly articles, student notes, and comments on topics of professional interest to members of the Section of Taxation and other readers. The journal is published five to six times annually, including at least one issue of The State and Local Tax Lawyer. 25 The Georgetown Journal of Modern Critical Race Perspectives,Georgetown s newest law journal is dedicated to legal scholarship on race and identity. It provides both a forum for scholarship by academics, students and practitioners who are committed to racial justice and a rigorous editorial experience for students, who have the same goal. 26 The Journal of National Security Law & Policy is published by Georgetown law & Syracuse University Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. It is devoted exclusively to national security law and policy. 27 Moot Court The Moot Court Program is the centerpiece of the Supreme Court Institute s public service activities. Every student enrolled in the JD program at Georgetown attends a moot court as part of the first-year Legal Research and Writing curriculum. The Appellate Advocacy division of the Barristers Council runs Georgetown University Law Center s moot court program. Two competitions are organized per year: William E. Leahy Moot Court Competition and Robert J. Beaudry Moot Court Competition. The Leahy Competition is held in the fall and is open to Georgetown Law LLM and upper-class JD students. The Beaudry Competition is held in the spring and is open to Georgetown Law first-year JD students. Competitors must write an appellate brief based on a closed packet and then argue their case in front of a panel of judges. Finalists argue before a panel of prominent local and federal judges. Those who advance to a certain level are invited to join the Barristers Council and to represent Georgetown Law in an interscholastic moot court competition. The Council also hosts the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Competition, a unique interscholastic moot court competition that deals with emerging international law and space law issues. 167 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

8 Clinical Programs 31 Georgetown University Law Center offers a variety of clinical programs in different areas of the law. Students can work on civil, criminal, legislative, and policy matters, assisting clients such as refugees seeking political asylum, adult and juvenile criminal defendants, victims of domestic violence, housing and community development groups, individuals threatened with eviction, children seeking access to adequate special and regular education, groups or individuals seeking to remedy civil rights violations or protect the environment, and organizations seeking legislative and regulatory reform on a variety of issues in the United States and abroad. Clinics offered by the school include: The Appellate Litigation Clinic The Center for Applied Legal Studies The Community Justice Project The Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic The Criminal Justice Clinic The Domestic Violence Clinic The Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic The Harrison Institute for Housing and Community Development Clinic The Harrison Institute for Public Law Policy Clinic The Institute for Public Representation The International Women s Human Rights Clinic The Juvenile Justice Clinic The DC Law Students in Court Clinic The DC Street Law Clinic The Social Enterprise and Nonprofit Clinic Placement Facts 32 Starting Salaries (2011 Graduates Employed Full-Time) Private sector (25 th -75 th percentile) $160,000-$160,000 Private sector - median $160,000 Public service - median $61,245 Employment Details Graduates known to be employed at graduation 63.7% Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation Areas of Legal Practice Graduates Employed In Percentage Law Firms 46.7% Business and Industry 10.7% 71.1% 168 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

9 Government 14.7% Judicial Clerkships 8.6% Public Interest Organizations 16.6% Academia 1.9% Unknown 0.8% 33, 34 Externships/Internships Externships Students may choose to do an externship in the summer for either two or three credits. Summer externships are limited to the Washington, DC area. Students are no longer limited to one externship but must receive prior approval from the Associate Dean for Clinical Programs for a second externship. Externship credits are Pass/Fail, and count towards the 7 credit Pass/Fail limit. Summer externs must satisfy all general externship requirements, except for or in addition to the following: Summer externs must complete at least 110 hours over the course of at least 6 weeks for 2 credits. Summer externs must complete at least 165 hours over the course of at least 6 weeks for 3 credits. Summer externs must attend an in-person mandatory orientation session before beginning their externships. Internships As part of the Criminal Justice Clinic, the Investigative Internship Program was founded in 1985 and continues today as an integral part of the success of its clinical program. Investigators work closely with clinic attorneys in all aspects of pre-trial preparation. In exchange for interns assistance, the law school offers a hands-on educational and working environment. Student Organizations 35 1L Tutors Advocates For Life American Bar Association American Civil Liberties Union-Georgetown Law American Constitution Society Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Black Law Students Association Brother s Forum Caribbean Law Students Association Catholic Student Association 169 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

10 Christian Legal Society Club Basketball Consumer Law Society Contemplative Law Society Corporate Law Association Criminal Law Association Cyberlaw Association Democrats Election Law Society Entertainment Media Alliance-Law Environmental Law Society Equal Justice Foundation Everybody Wins - Georgetown Law Federalist Society Foreign Lawyers at Georgetown Friends of Transfer Students Association Future Law Teachers Georgetown Labor and Employment Law Society Georgetown Law Off-Campus Housing Gilbert & Sullivan Society Global Race and Identity Project Golf Club Green Committee Gun Club Habitat for Humanity Haiti Coalition Home Court HouseReach Hoya Lawya Runners Human Rights Action / Amnesty International Human Rights Institute Immigration Law Club Independent Media Society Innocence Project International Arbitration Society International Law Society International Students Association J. Reuben Clark Law Society Jewish Law Students Association Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor Korean American Law Students Association Latin American Law Students Association Law Weekly Lawcappella LL M Tax Council Military Law Society 170 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

11 Muevalo Muslim Law Students Association National Lawyers Guild National Security Law Society Office of Public Interest & Community Service OutLaw Outreach Parents Group Peer Advisor & Alumni Mentor Program Phi Alpha Delta Public Interest Fellows Program (OPICS) Reproductive Justice (not sponsored or funded by University) Republican Law Students Association Residence Life Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Rugby Club Secular Student Alliance Securities & Financial Law Organization SJD Students Soccer Club Society for Health Law & Bioethics Softball Club South Asian Law Students Association Space Law Society Student Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Bar Association Student Intellectual Property Law Association Students Against Looting Valuable Antiquities - Georgetown Endeavor Students for Sensible Drug Policy Suspension Representation Project The Georgetown Law Journal Uncorked United Nations at Georgetown Water Polo Club Women of Color Collective Women s Basketball Club Women s Legal Alliance Writ of Knit Youth Advocacy Group 171 The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools

12 References Id. pg 26, 90 pg 27 pg 30 cfm pg The 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America s Top 50 Law Schools