If you are interested in a law career, and want to actually do lawyering before you graduate, a clinical based law school is the place for you.
Check out their law day on March 21st
Disclaimer - I went to this school and have a bit of a bias 🙂
The Clinics: The public service-oriented UDC David A. Clarke School of Law (www.law.udc.edu) is the public law school of the nation’s capital. Unlike most other law schools in America , UDC-DCSL offers students a quality, practical, hands-on program of legal study. In addition to the traditional law curriculum, each UDC-DCSL student, under the close supervision of attorney-professors, provides 700 hours of much-needed legal service to low-income Washington , DC residents in one of the School’s eight clinics. Please see www.law.udc.edu/?page=ClinicIntro. And US News put UDC-DCSL as 7th best clinical program in the nation for 2015 – see http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/clinical-training-rankings.
Diversity: UDC-DCSL also boasts one of the nation’s most diverse student bodies among law schools with about 50% students of color, over 50% women, an average age of 28, representing an interesting array of life experiences. In fact, UDC-DCSL was named the nation’s second most diverse law school for 2015 by PreLaw Magazine – seehttp://www.law.udc.edu/news/211736/PreLaw-Magazine-UDC-DCSL-2-in-US-for-Diversity.htm
Affordability: Among the nation’s most affordable, the School of Law ’s 2015-16 full-time program tuition rates are $10,886 for District residents and $21,772 for non-residents. The part-time evening program 2015-16 cost is $369 per credit hour for D.C. residents and $738 per credit hour for non-District residents. District residency may be established one full year before classes begin for a given semester. See www.law.udc.edu/?page=Tuition.
UDC-DCSL also offers its students a comprehensive financial aid program. The program offers 1) partial to full-tuition merit-based scholarships for first-year and eligible continuing students; 2) need-based grants; 3) work-study; and 4) loans. Students who earn a 3.00 GPA or better their first year may be eligible for a partial tuition “Dean’s Fellow” scholarship for the second year.
One of our more select scholarship programs is the Advocate for Justice Scholarship, a competitive three- or four-year full-tuition scholarship for students with outstanding academic credentials PLUS a track record of commitment to advocacy for justice. See http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=AFJ for details.
In addition, UDC-DCSL provides paid summer public interest fellowships to all students who have completed their first year. Through their summer placements, students build substantive expertise and commitment, make valuable professional contacts, and provide vitally needed legal services — often to individuals and communities who otherwise could not afford a lawyer. See http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=Fellowships
The Pathways to the Profession Program
The School of Law has also taken curricular “action” to help assure our competitiveness. Building on our clinical program, we now offers, 8 specializations we call “Pathways” to help students choose core courses, electives, clinics and other experiential learning opportunities that connect with specific areas of study and career paths. The idea is to help students develop an individualized program of study that leads in the direction of a specific career goal. By following a Pathway, students can build a body of knowledge, skills and experience that will prepare them for practice in a chosen field. It will also help them build a network of like-minded colleagues, faculty advisors, alumni and prospective employers to help them make the transition from law school to practice. See http://www.law.udc.edu/page/PathwaysIntro.
UDC Law Facts
See the School of Law Fact Sheet : http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=Facts
See the Video Overview: http://www.law.udc.edu/?KnowVideo
The Next “Law Day” Open House is on Saturday, March 21!
Our next open house for prospective students will be held on Saturday, March 22. Attending a Law Day is the best way a potential law student can get the information and “feel” for School of Law staff, faculty and students she or he needs to consider applying. For more information and to register, prospective students can go to http://www.law.udc.edu/events/event_details.asp?id=587518.
Application Process:
An undergraduate degree and the LSAT are required. Prospective students may apply through the Law School Admission Council, (LSAC) at www.lsac.org. For more information, see: http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=AppOverview
2015-16 LSAT Test Dates:
Scores from the June 2015 LSAT may be used and can be appended to an otherwise complete application.
To check for various registration deadlines and to register:
http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/test-dates-deadlines.asp
The Application
A complete application to UDC-DCSL consists of the Application for Admission <http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=AppOverview> , with a personal statement and response to the es sa y question; the $35.00 application fee; a Law School Report from LSAC's Credential Assembly Service, which includes all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the LSAT score; and a Declaration of Residency from candidates claiming District residency.
The Law School Report
All applicants must register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) < http://www.lsac.org/jd/applying-to-law-school/cas>. Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work, and all letters of recommendation, should be submitted directly to CAS rather than the School of Law . CAS will provide produce a Law School Report that includes the candidate's LSAT score, copies of all transcripts, analysis of transcripts AND copies of all recommendations. The LSAC law school code for UDC-DCSL is 5245.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The LSAT <http://www.lsac.org/JD/LSAT/about-the-LSAT.asp> is given four times a year. All applicants must have taken the test within five years of the Fall semester they plan to enroll. The score is considered by the School's Admission Committee in tandem with other academic and non-academic information provided in the application. Applicants should provide any information that would be helpful to the Committee in reviewing their LSAT scores, and retake the test if their scores are significantly inconsistent with previous test performance. Candidates taking multiple tests should consider including such information with their applications.
LSAC contact information is as follows:
Law School Admission Council (www.lsac.org)
P. O. Box 2000
Newtown , Pennsylvania 18940-0998
(215) 968-1001
Notes
- If an applicant referred by an alum is admitted and enrolls, he or she will receive a $500 Alumni Legacy Grant! Alumni referrals who receive the Legacy admission grant are not precluded from consideration for receiving other scholarships and financial aid!
- To sit in on a class, contact us at lawadmission@udc.edu. Our Law Day Open House programs are held in March and November.
- The Spring 2015 Law Day Open House will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2015. For more information on, or to register for, the upcoming Open House, please visit http://www.law.udc.edu/events/event_details.asp?id=587518