|
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
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)
Tuition (Out of State)
| Students
receiving financial aid: |
85% |
Placement
| 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.
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. |
