University of the District of Columbia—David A. Clarke School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law evolved from two predecessor schools: the Antioch School of Law and the District of Columbia School of Law. Antioch School of Law was created in 1972 by Edgar S. and Jean Camper Cahn who championed the rights of low-income people and minorities. The school was also committed to training public interest lawyers and pioneered a comprehensive clinical legal education model, adopted now, in small part, in nearly every law school in the country.
UDC Law is the only public law school in the Nation's Capitol and one of only six Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Law Schools in the nation.
The JD Program
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law’s Juris Doctor (JD) Program enrolls first-year students for the fall semester only. UDC Law offers a traditional three-year, full-time JD program and a four-year, part-time, evening JD program. The application process and requirements are the same for both programs. All applicants must register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) before their applications will be considered as completed and reviewed by the Admission Committee.
Experiential Education
The most distinctive feature of the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law) program of legal education is its commitment to clinical and experiential learning. Since our founding, we have advanced the notion that students learn to become effective and ethical lawyers through supervised representation of real clients with real legal needs. UDC Law’s clinical training program is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 in the nation.
Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program
The arc of our clinical and experiential learning program begins in the summer following first year, when students may elect to participate in the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program. Summer fellows receive financial stipends while providing a minimum of 400 hours of law-related, attorney-supervised service in judicial chambers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Not limited to the District, students have served, learned, and made valuable connections all over the U.S. and even internationally.
Clinical Program
Our signature program is clinical legal education, in which students work under the supervision of faculty members to provide legal services to District residents. UDC Law has the highest clinic requirement of any law school in the country. All full-time students experience at least 600 hours, and all part-time students experience at least 425 hours, of hand-on clinical work that prepares them to deal effectively with clients and use their legal knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Externships
Many students choose to earn additional credits by participating in an externship placement. The Externship Program allows students to earn academic credit for legal experience during the spring and summer semesters. Students enroll in a highly structured class that helps them develop their professional identities while working with members of the judiciary, governmental agencies, or non-profit legal organizations.
Service-Learning Practicum & Seminar
The Service-Learning Practicum & Seminar combines classroom instruction with hands-on lawyering in a three-credit, spring semester course organized around a week-long service learning trip during spring break. A key innovation of UDC Law’s nationally recognized clinical and experiential lawyering program, service-learning is a teaching and learning capstone experience that integrates meaningful community and humanitarian service with instruction and reflection, thereby enriching and deepening the learning experience.
Student Life
Student Clubs & Organizations
Students at UDC David A. Clarke School of Law have diverse interests that are reflected in their varied student organizations. Many students are involved in student government, local and national bar organizations, and activities that promote their professional growth. They are also active in organizations that serve the community and promote diversity in the legal profession.
UDC Law Review
The UDC Law Review is a student-run periodical that publishes articles of topical legal interest. The aspiration is to serve the community by raising awareness of important legal issues of social concern.
Tuition and Aid
Learn more about tuition & aid at UDC Law
Admitted Applicant Profile
