University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law Admission
University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law Undergraduate Program
University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law Application

The Facts

The University of the District of Columbia is a rather small, public institution located in Washington D.C. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 8,500 students, however, the university’s David A. Clarke School of Law is significantly smaller, and is home to about 220 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 28, and it is quite rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its emphasis on public interest law and public service, as well as for its extensive clinical law programs. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD only, and some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of public interest law, public service, public defender law, community and family law, as well as taxation and property law.

Admission to the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law is quite competitive among those who apply; last year, over 1,172 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 248 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 80 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 148 to 154, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.1. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early applications program in place.

The David A. Clarke School of Law has 42 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse legal and professional backgrounds. They are extremely dedicated to the rather new school and its students, and students rave about their accessibility and approachability. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of about 12:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of interaction and discussion between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students do seem a bit apprehensive about finding jobs after graduating. The school is relatively new, and has to face a lot of competition from other D.C. area law schools when it comes to drawing recruiters. However, over 84% of the most recently graduating students were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as various local and federal government agencies, legal service providers, litigation-oriented law firms, public interest law firms and organizations, judicial clerkships, as well as various businesses and corporations.

What's Good

“The faculty is so dedicated, and they really will take time to make sure you are understanding everything.”

“The emphasis on public interest law is wonderful, and it helps on the job market.”

“The school is right in the center of the legal world in Washington D.C. It’s a great place to study law.”

What's Bad

“Because the school is so new, we haven’t yet firmly established ourselves in the legal community.”

”There are some students who feel the need to fight their way to the top and cut others down.”

“The bar pass rate is kind of low, and it hurts our school’s reputation.”

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