American University

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,... Read More 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.

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.... Read More 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.

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... Read More 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.

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.... Read More

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... Read More 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... Read More 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... Read More 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.