A superb faculty. World-class legal clinics. Hundreds of course offerings — all of this just steps away from the United States Capitol and Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Georgetown University Law Center is an exceptional institution in an enviable location.
Founded in 1870, Georgetown Law began modestly when the directors of Georgetown University recommended the establishment of a separate department to train lawyers. A class of 25 students from 12 states and Cuba enrolled in what was then a two-year evening program. It was the first law school created by a Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States.
Today, some 2,000 J.D. and L.L.M. students come to Capitol Hill from all over the world to study international law or tax law, environmental law or health care law (just a few of our specialties). They come here to put theory into practice as a member of one of our 19 legal clinics. Most of all, they come to learn the law in the place where laws are made.
Georgetown Law boasts the nation’s best clinical program, several joint degree and advanced degree programs, a diverse curriculum that includes the largest array of international and comparative law courses and seminars in the United States , and world-renowned centers and institutes. Our Office of Public Interest and Community Service has helped generations of students launch careers in public service, making Georgetown one of the United States’s premier pipelines for public interest lawyers. Although most students study full-time, the Law Center also continues to offer an evening division with an outstanding reputation for academic excellence.
At Georgetown Law, we are committed to the Jesuit concept of cura personalis – educating the whole person – and advancing justice through the law. Central to these core values is an emphasis on holistic learning, wellness, and creating a campus culture where all community members can thrive.
Today, some 50,000 Georgetown-trained lawyers – “Hoya Lawyas” – can be found worldwide, making valuable contributions to the law and to society – from private practice to public office, business to academia and public service – and advancing our school motto – “Law is but the means; justice is the end.”
