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The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

Cardinal Station Washington, DC 20064

Phone: 202.319.5151; Fax: 202.319.6285

E-mail: admissions@law.edu; Website: www.law.edu

 

ABA Status: Approved
Year Approved: 1925
Type of school: Private
Term: Semester
Deadline: March 1, 2007
Application Fee: $60
Applicants (Freshman Class; 2005 - 2006)
Applied: 3,502
Accepted: 1,060
Enrolled: 329
Average Age: 26
Student Body (2005 - 2006)
Median LSAT: 158
Median GPA: 3.32
Women: 50%
Minority: 18%
Passed Bar Exam on first try: 73%
Tuition (In State)
Full Time: $30,230
Tuition (Out of State)
Full Time: $30,230
Students receiving financial aid: 85%
Placement
J.D.'s Awarded: 295
Placed within 9 months: 91%
Average starting salary: $28,000 - $135,000
Areas of placement
Business: 24%
Government: 27%
Judicial Clerks: 11%
Law Firm (2 - 10 attorneys): 34%
Public Interest: 3%
Library Resources
Number of Volumes: 402,845
Number of Titles: 124,404
Number of Subscriptions: 5,276

 

Introduction

Founded in 1897, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law is located on the 193-acre campus of the university. Students and faculty have easy access to nearly limitless legal resources: the Supreme Court, Congress, the United States and District of Columbia courts, and other federal, executive, and administrative agencies and branches of government. For a campus so close to a center of world power, it is peaceful, pleasant, and scenic, offering a sense of neighborhood and community. Classes are small and personal.Average GPA and LSAT Scores for The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

The law school is proud of its vibrant intellectual tradition and extends it to exploring new intersections of issues of law and morality. Students are trained and encouraged to use their hearts and minds, in concert with their skills, to practice effectively in the complex world of the twenty-first century. The school welcomes students of all religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds to a program that is renowned for its consistently high number of graduates entering public and community service. The Columbus School of Law has been a member of the AALS since 1921 and approved by the ABA since 1925.

Enrollment/Student Body

Total enrollment is typically more than 900 students, making the School of Law the 33rd largest law school in the US. Law students come from nearly every state and a dozen foreign countries. More than 25 percent of the school’s enrollment is part-time, making its evening program one of the most flexible and accommodating available anywhere. First-year classes typically have 32–70 students. Upper-class courses range from 10 to 70 students. Faculty members keep posted office hours and are accessible for informal sessions, making for a more personal education.

Faculty

The 49-member full-time faculty brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the classroom. The majority have practiced in the private sector. Adjunct faculty members are primarily active legal practitioners and complement the “real-world” flavor of course offerings. Classroom instruction is supplemented by many distinguished guest speakers, such as federal appellate judges, justices of the US Supreme Court, and leading academicians and theologians from around the world.

Library and Physical Facilities

The Library of Congress and specialized law collections throughout the city complement the law school’s legal collections of over 400,000 titles. The law school facility, completed in 1994, houses all components of the law school. Law students have full access to other campus facilities, including a 40-acre athletic complex.

Curriculum

The prescribed first-year curriculum and method of teaching are designed to develop the analytical skills that characterize the able lawyer and to give the student familiarity with the major substantive areas of law. It is also designed as an introduction to jurisprudence and the Catholic intellectual tradition as it relates to the larger questions of social justice. While lawyers traditionally have been heavily involved with the commercial interests of private or corporate clients, law is becoming increasingly responsive to problems that affect the public interest. The CUA law school curriculum is designed to provide students with the basic knowledge to become effective lawyers in a changing legal environment.

Special Programs

CUA Law’s institutes and special programs offer certification of a student’s developed expertise in his or her chosen legal specialty. Each program provides invaluable externship opportunities, offering for-credit placements available nowhere else but in Washington, DC.

The Institute for Communications Law Studies offers unique specialized training in communications law, ranging from First Amendment law to FCC practices and procedures. Students are trained to think critically about the broader impact that mass media has upon society and human behavior.

The Comparative and International Law Institute provides superb background training to students who intend to specialize in international law. The institute offers a six-week summer abroad program at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.

The Law and Public Policy Program is designed for students who desire to make a difference through legislative change. The program combines classroom study in legislative and administrative processes with externships in government agencies and advocacy organizations that affect national public policy.

The Corporate and Securities Law Program integrates a broad concentration of securities and corporate law courses with a required externship program. Adjunct instructors and program faculty bring vast knowledge to the classroom, as many have practiced with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and private firms.

The Interdisciplinary Program on Law and Religion was created to provide a forum for study, research, and public discussion of the questions that arise from the nexus of law and religion. These include many of society’s most challenging issues, such as bioethics, international human rights, and marriage law.

Clinical Programs

Columbus Community Legal Services recently observed its 35th year of assisting the underserved population of the nation’s capital. The law school offers eight clinical programs, including five that emphasize client representation, case planning, and trial and administrative advocacy. Nine simulation courses are also offered that closely approximate real-life lawyering through simulated courtroom, mediation, and arbitration exercises. The two other clinical offerings are the SEC Observer Program and the Legal Externship Program.

Admission

While considerable weight is given to an applicant’s grade-point average and LSAT score, admission decisions are also influenced by such factors as leadership potential, class rank, substantial involvement in volunteer community service activities, potential for contributing to diversity, and relevant work experience. Close attention is also paid to a candidate’s personal statement and reasons for wanting to study at CUA.

Expenses and Financial Aid

Financial aid decisions commence in March.

Student Activities

The Catholic University Law Review, the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy, and CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Policy are scholarly law journals staffed and published by outstanding students. The Moot Court Board, in addition to facilitating at least eight intraschool competitions each year, also hosts two major contests at CUA: the National Telecommunications Competition and the Sutherland Cup. There are over 30 voluntary student organizations at the Columbus School of Law, encompassing a broad range of professional interests, ethnic and racial affiliations, political and religious perspectives, and recreational activities.

Career Services

The Office of Legal Career Services actively supports students and graduates in their search for employment by providing counseling as well as workshops, panel discussions, and access to a national alumni network. A comprehensive on-campus interviewing program is conducted annually. The school’s small size makes it possible for all students to secure guidance with individualized career strategy and planning.

Housing

The Washington, DC metropolitan area boasts many off-campus housing opportunities for prospective law students. Each summer, the Office of Admissions assists incoming students with the housing search by coordinating a roommate name exchange, a housing workshop, and an online
housing forum. The law school is convenient to public transportation, including Washington’s Metrorail system.

 


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