Washington, D.C., the center of the nation's legal institutions, is also the nation's legal home, with federal and state agencies, courts, trade associations, public interest groups, corporations, and hundreds of private firms. With a lawyer population of 1 in 12, Washington is a lawyer's city unlike any other.
Washington, D.C. is without peer as a law student's city. As a law student in here, you will find countless opportunities for externships, clinics, and independent study. Many of your classes will address contemporary national issues, and your professors represent the entire spectrum of the profession, public as well as private.
Washington, D.C. is also an international center. Legal education today has to prepare you for practice in a global society, including the need to work increasingly across national boundaries. The D.C. metropolitan area's institutions and communities offer unparalleled opportunities to study international and transnational issues.
If the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and foreign embassies characterize this city, there is still more. The Maryland and northern Virginia suburbs encompass thriving cities with their own governments, courts, and agencies. Corporations, consulting agencies, and technical firms are increasing in number and size throughout the region. Cultural activities and sports abound. The District of Columbia has a resident population of over 681,170, however during the weekdays the population increases to over one million due to the many commuters who live in the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The Washington metropolitan area is the seventh largest in the United States.
American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) is located in the upper northwest edge of Washington D.C., near the Maryland state line. The law school is 15 minutes from the White House, yet it is set within the green boundaries of a residential neighborhood. In short, AUWCL offers the best of Washington, D.C.