American University Reviews of Doctorates in Law

"I attended the Washington College of Law at American University from 2005-2008 to obtain my Juris Doctor. The WCL curriculum put a strong emphasis on research and writing, with a two-semester comprehensive program that I thoroughly appreciated and has served me well in my profession (especially given that many colleagues went to schools where there was less emphasis on this part, and thus a critical component of their legal training was lacking). Unfortunately, I think almost all of my favorite professors, with a handful of exceptions, have moved on to other schools/positions/careers, so I cannot speak to much of the current faculty. I can say that the school recently had the grand opening of its new law building, which has expanded facilities and lots of resources for law students, and will be a definite bonus for anyone attending in the future."

"The program offers great opportunities and networking but I wish there were more financial aid for International students."

"My college and graduate education have empowered me to become the person I want to be, and have given me the tools to succeed in my chosen profession. That said, my education at private colleges and universities came at a great cost (I am nearly a quarter-million dollars in debt), and I am still facing difficulty entering the job market as a recent graduate. I think that a college education is important to succeed, but that the current system of student loans and unending debt has got to change. For what I owe in student debt, I could own two houses in the town where I grew up, but instead I have a great education and a great amount of stress and uncertainty in my life."

"WCL is a great school. However, considering our sinking rating, it is harder to justify the cost. The student population is extremely diverse and everyone is welcoming."

"Note this is my first semester, so some services offered by the school have not come into fruition."

"American University's Washington College of Law offers a lot to students in terms of networking and professional opportunity. There is an understanding that to heighten your prospects upon graduation, work experience in relevant fields is a must. Being located in DC, there is a huge competitive edge for full-time law students who can intern during the semester for up to 20 hours a week after the first year. I have really enjoyed the professors so far in my career here, and the students seem to be very well-rounded with very interesting backgrounds. The coolest thing about this law school is the international opportunity both in dual law degree programs and the professionals they expose us to in symposiums and other more intimate networking events."

"The law school provides a great education! I enjoy the faculty and all my classes. The cost is high and the financial aid is not extensive."

"WCL is a first-class education, providing students with tools to succeed as lawyers. There are constantly events taking place and resources to encourage involvement. There also is an abundance of programs, internships and externships to participate in. The staff does a great job of communicating what WCL offers its students."

"The school has many opportunities for people to obtain hands on experience either from clinic or externship in the DMV area. There is also a collaborative environment where most people like to help others succeed. This aspect of the law school is what makes the school stand out and is also one of things I enjoy most about attending this law school."

"I love my program so much it is very engaging and challenging. The professors are so easily accessible and for an international student this is very important. I am very blessed to be in that school."

"In the past American University may have been a good experience, but the legal market is in utter collapse, leaving myself and most of my classmates without jobs after graduation. Further, many of us were unable to participate in many of the school's programs that were normally available to all students because the administration has raised class size each year without raising capacity in order to build a new campus. Given the dropping numbers of applicants, this might not have been a smart move."

"Great school. Location is DC is amazing for great semester jobs. The career center is very accessible and does a lot to help students. Many have been very successful using the career center, even with the difficult state of the legal field. Professors are the best part of the school. They are are very accessible, and incredibly intelligent. They are always willing to meet out of class to discuss doctrinal concepts, to oversee a paper or moot court you are working on, or to offer general advice."

"Pros: - Great location, the fact that the school is located in DC provides a lot of great opportunities. - School is in safe and good neighborhood -Great clinical programs - Professors are very friendly and reachable. Cons: - Career service not very helpful in providing career opportunities/permanent job opportunities other than externships, etc. - Not many networking events with industry professionals and alumni."

"some professors are really wonderful, others are selfish, petty, and ineffective. gunners are bad, but gunners at a non-ivy law school are especially obnoxious because most of them are still stupid and don't know what they're talking about when they raise their hands 20 times every class. also, this school is not good for people who have taken some time off between undergrad and law school. almost everyone is straight or 1 year out of undergrad, making it hard to make friends if you're not into drinking and hooking up every night. sections become disgustingly incestuous."

"Cons: Tuition is very expensive in comparision with its ranking and large class sections.The cost will exceed $250,000. I took a gamble on choosing WCL and hopefully it will pay off. I'm only in my first semester of 1L, so it's too early to access career services. The ultimate test will be obtaining employment upon graduation to pay for the high student loans. Pros: The one thing that sold me on the law school is being in DC. I am interested in working for the federal government. Perhaps the most striking thing about WCL for me is its supportive environment. I also feel that the campus is liberal, which is a plus for me."

"The professors at WCL are excellent. They generally want you to succeed and excel. The full-time professors are almost always available to students and willing to work with hectic schedules. Adjuncts (of which there are many) are generally less available and can be unresponsive to student attempts at contact outside of the classroom. The campus is very safe, located in the middle of a sleepy, upscale neighborhood in NW DC. AU has an excellent alert system when there are safety concerns. To put it frankly, OCPD needs to do more. Their job is to help us get jobs, and they can't seem to do it. The population of the school makes technological resources inadequate. Printers are constantly breaking, on busy days it can be impossible to get on and stay on the internet. There seems to be little, if any, difference in the workload of the 2 credit courses and 4 credit course- both have extreme amounts of reading and work associated with them (one justifiably). DC is an extremely expensive city to live in and the cost of living provided by AU for the purposes of financial aid, is extremely low. Unless you are in the top 5% of the class and diverse, there is no way that you are going to be awarded a scholarship from the school's scholarship program."