Last updated: September 4, 2026

George Washington University Law School

George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of the George Washington University, located in Foggy Bottom at 2000 H Street NW in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1865 and continuously ABA-approved, GW Law is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C., and the city's flagship private law school. The school occupies a single self-contained complex on GW's main campus and operates the U.S. News #2 ranked part-time J.D. program in the country.

GW's defining asset is its location. Every student attends classes in the heart of the federal government — two blocks from the World Bank and the Federal Reserve, across the street from the Kennedy Center, and a short walk from the White House, the State Department, and the federal courthouse. The school's placement into the federal government, federal clerkships, national security practice, and D.C. private firms flows directly from this geography.

GW Law School at a Glance

Category	Latest information
Founded	1865 (oldest law school in Washington, D.C.)
Type	Private (The George Washington University)
ABA approval or accreditation	Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
Location	2000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20052
Latest U.S. News rank	#26 (tie, 2026), out of 194; #2 in part-time law
Latest completed applications	9,718 (Oct 6, 2024 – Oct 5, 2025 ABA cycle)
Latest acceptance rate	27.21% (2,644 offers of admission)
Latest LSAT median	168 (25th–75th: 162–170)
Latest GPA median	3.86 (25th–75th: 3.55–3.93)
Latest entering class	612 total first-year (576 full-time, 36 part-time)
Current tuition	$78,060 (full-time) / $57,540 (part-time), 2026–27
Current estimated cost of attendance	$114,097 (full-time) / $93,057 (part-time), 2026–27
Latest first-time bar passage	90.2% (Class of 2025); 95.8% ultimate two-year
Latest bar-required employment	95.1% full-time, long-term (Class of 2025)
Current dean	Dayna Bowen Matthew (since August 2020)

Introduction

GW Law opened its doors in 1865 as the Columbian College Law Department and has been the oldest law school in Washington, D.C., ever since. The school is housed in a self-contained law-school complex — classrooms, the Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics, the Law Library, the Writing Center, and student-organization offices — located on the George Washington University's Foggy Bottom campus. The university itself was chartered by an act of Congress in 1821, and the law school has remained in the same neighborhood for more than 150 years.

Two numbers frame GW's present-day profile. First, the school reported in 2026 that 98.6% of the Class of 2025 graduates were employed within ten months of graduation, with 95.1% in full-time, long-term bar-required positions and 9.5% in federal clerkships — top-10 national placement despite the school's #26 U.S. News rank. Second, the school operates at unusual scale: the 2025 entering class totalled 612 students (576 full-time, 36 part-time) drawn from 9,718 completed applications and 2,644 offers of admission (a 27.21% acceptance rate). Few schools combine that size with that depth of federal placement.

Rankings and Reputation

Overall ranking

Ranked #26 (tie) in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report law-school rankings, tied with Emory, Georgia, USC, and Wisconsin, and #2 nationally in part-time law for the eighth consecutive year. TaxProf Blog ranked GW #5 in the country for 10-month employment (99.3%) for the Class of 2024.

Specialty rankings

#2 in part-time law (U.S. News, 2026)
Top-10 nationally for federal clerkship placement
Widely-regarded national leadership in national security law, government procurement, intellectual property, and international law
Top-10 placement in U.S. Department of Justice, federal regulatory agencies, and federal-court clerkships

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

The 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report records the following for the 2025 cycle (Oct 6, 2024 – Oct 5, 2025):

9,718 completed applications
2,644 offers of admission
27.21% acceptance rate
595 students enrolled from the applicant pool
17 students who had deferred admission from a previous year
612 total first-year class size (576 full-time, 36 part-time)

The school's unusually large part-time share relative to peer private schools is one of GW's structural advantages.

LSAT and GPA

Median LSAT among enrolled students: 168 (25th percentile: 162; 75th percentile: 170). Median undergraduate GPA: 3.86 (25th percentile: 3.55; 75th percentile: 3.93) (2025 ABA Standard 509). The wide 25th–75th LSAT spread reflects GW's commitment to access through its part-time program, which admits and enrolls students across a broader credential range than most top-30 schools.

Interpreting the numbers

The blended median understates the full-time cohort's competitiveness. Full-time admits typically present LSAT scores in the 169–172 range and GPAs clustered around 3.9 or higher; the part-time cohort pulls the reported median down while still producing strong federal clerkship and government placement overall. GW weighs career goals heavily — applicants with concrete plans for federal government, regulatory work, public service, or D.C. private practice have a meaningful advantage in admissions and scholarship decisions.

Application timing

J.D. applications open September 1, 2026, for Fall 2027 entry. 1L application fees have been waived for the 2026–2027 cycle.

Early Decision deadline: February 1, 2027
Presidential Binding deadline: February 1, 2027
Priority Regular Decision deadline: March 1, 2027
Final deadline (rolling): July 1, 2027

Decisions are released on a rolling basis from November through May. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early in the cycle.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

For the 2026–27 academic year, tuition is $2,740 per credit hour, which translates to flat tuition rates of $78,060 for full-time J.D. students (12+ credits per semester) and $57,540 for part-time J.D. students (≤ 11 credits per semester). The 2025–26 baseline reported in the 2025 ABA 509 was $75,420 (full-time) and $55,650 (part-time), meaning tuition rose roughly 3.5% year-over-year.

Cost of attendance

The published 2026–27 standard student expense budget totals $114,097 for a full-time J.D. student and $93,057 for a part-time J.D. student. The full-time breakdown:

Tuition and fees: $78,060
Housing and food: $25,750
Personal: $3,150
Transportation: $1,550
Books and supplies: $2,100
GW student health insurance plan (SHIP): $3,271
Loan fees: $216

Financial aid

GW Law confirms that it does not award any conditional scholarships — no scholarship at GW is conditioned on a student maintaining a minimum GPA or class standing. The full-time percentage receiving grants, median grant amount, and total dollar disbursed are not separately confirmed in the 2025 ABA 509; applicants should consult the school's financial-aid office directly for current grant data. GW's location in D.C. — where students can work part-time during the school year and summer in federal agencies, on Capitol Hill, or in courts and NGOs — provides a structurally lower borrowing trajectory than peer private schools.

Debt perspective

With Washington, D.C. living costs running higher than most major legal markets and a sticker price of $114k in 2026–27, GW ranks among the more expensive top-30 choices for full-time students. However, the school's 9.5% federal clerkship rate, its government pipeline, and its LRAP-equivalent programs help students manage debt at repayment; part-time evening students who continue working through school can shave borrowing dramatically.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

The latest available aggregations place GW Law's Class of 2025 at 98.6% overall employment within ten months of graduation and 95.1% in full-time, long-term bar-required positions (ILRG); earlier cohorts posted even higher ten-month rates — TaxProf Blog rated GW #5 nationally (99.3%) for the Class of 2024.

By employer category (Class of 2025):

Law firms, 501+ lawyers: ~30%
Law firms, 251–500 lawyers: ~7%
Law firms, 101–250 lawyers: ~5%
Law firms, 51–100 lawyers: ~5%
Law firms, 26–50 lawyers: ~5%
Law firms, 11–25 lawyers: ~7%
Law firms, 1–10 lawyers: ~5%
Federal Clerkships: 9.5%
State Clerkships: ~5%
Government: ~10%
Public Interest: ~5%
Business & Industry: ~5%

95.1% full-time, long-term bar-required employment with a Class of 2025 of approximately 542 graduates.

What these numbers mean

The bar-required share masks GW's signature strength: a 9.5% federal clerkship placement rate that runs nearly three times the national average (3.2%). The clerkship pipeline begins with a nationally best-footprint alumni presence at the U.S. Supreme Court (notably clerks for Justice Clarence Thomas), the federal appellate courts, and the U.S. district courts for the District of Columbia. Beyond clerkships, GW's annual placement into federal agencies, regulatory bodies, Capitol Hill, and D.C. law firms makes Washington, D.C. arguably the only legal market in which GW's outcomes approach those of the T14.

Bar passage

90.2% first-time pass rate for the Class of 2025 (joint jurisdictions). 95.8% ultimate two-year rate (U.S. News) — slightly below the national first-time average but reflecting the demands of D.C. and New York, the two jurisdictions most GW graduates sit for.

Where graduates go

Roughly one in ten of each class enters a federal or state clerkship; the remainder distributes among D.C. and New York firms (GW's largest private-market employers include the D.C.-headquartered firms and the Am Law 200's D.C. offices — Covington & Burling, Arnold & Porter, Williams & Connolly, Steptoe & Johnson, Akin Gump), federal regulatory agencies (DOJ, FTC, FCC, SEC, EPA, USPTO), the Department of State and intelligence community through the National Security Law program, congressional committees and personal offices, and public-interest organizations.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum and special strengths

GW Law offers five J.D. degree programs through the George Washington University and broader graduate study. Required first-year courses anchor the program in constitutional law, contracts, civil procedure, criminal law, property, torts, and legal writing. Upper-division concentrations include:

National security law
Government procurement and contracts
Intellectual property and patent law
International and comparative law
Environmental and energy law
Constitutional law

The J.D. is the primary degree; the school also offers LL.M., M.S.L., and S.J.D. graduate programs, with concentrations in several of the school's specialty areas.

Joint degrees

GW Law students can earn joint degrees combining the J.D. with graduate study in other GW schools, including the following:

JD/MBA (George Washington School of Business)
JD/MA in International Affairs (Elliott School of International Affairs)
JD/MPH (Milken Institute School of Public Health)
JD/MA in other selected programs through GW graduate divisions

Clinics and experiential learning

The Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics are GW's flagship experiential program: an in-house, multi-clinic structure that places students in real client representation in criminal defense, immigration, housing, consumer protection, and other public-service fields. The GW Law Field Placement Program places more than 500 students per year in academic-credit externships across the federal government, the judiciary, and public-interest organizations. The Public Interest & Pro Bono Program supports students committed to service-track careers.

Signature experiential offerings include:

Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics
Criminal Defense and Prosecution Clinic
Immigration Law Clinic
Housing Law Clinic
Consumer Protection Clinic
Government Procurement and National Security Law specialization

Journals

GW publishes eight student-edited legal journals covering an unusually broad range of fields, including:

George Washington Law Review
American University Law Review (compensated)
Journal of International Law and Economics
International Law Review
Journal of Law and Public Policy
Intellectual Property Law Brief
Business and Technology Law Brief
Environmental and Energy Law Brief

Journals feed the school's clerkship and academic pipeline through supervised student writing.

Centers and institutes

Major centers and institutes at GW Law include:

Center for Law, Justice & Society
Government Procurement Law Program
National Security Law Program
Intellectual Property Law Program
International and Comparative Law Program
Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics

Student Life and Location

Living in Foggy Bottom

GW's campus is centered at 2000 H Street NW, immediately south of the Kennedy Center and alongside the Watergate complex. The law school occupies an entire city block, with classrooms, clinics, the writing center, and student-organization offices all on-site. The Foggy Bottom neighborhood is the geographic heart of American government — the White House, State Department, World Bank, and federal courthouse are within walking or Metro distance, and the Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and Adams Morgan neighborhoods are a short ride north.

Student body

The student body is large (612 first-years) and demographically diverse, with a meaningful share of second-career and part-time evening students who bring federal-government work experience into the classroom. Active student organizations include the Moot Court Board, Mock Trial, and numerous affinity and practice-area groups. The school's student-affairs and writing-center resources support students through the higher-stakes graded experience of the first year.

How GW Compares

Choose GW if

You want a top-30 law-school credential with the largest and best-ranked part-time program in the country.
You plan to enter federal government, regulatory practice, or D.C.-bar placement — GW's specialty rankings match candidates targeting those career paths.
You want access to more than 500 federal-government externship placements per year.
You want to benefit from being in the federal-government neighborhood throughout your law-school years.
You have concrete plans for D.C. or the federal bar and want a match between the school's pipeline and your career plans.

Consider alternatives if

You want a T14 credential with widely-discussed placements to NYC firms (consider NYU, Columbia, Penn, or Stanford).
You want a smaller class with deeper per-graduate outcomes (Berkeley, Northwestern, or WashU).
You want a different regional market — Duke and UVA (East Coast), Stanford and Berkeley (West Coast), or Northwestern and Chicago (Midwest).
You cannot accommodate a three-year D.C. relocation without significant scholarship aid; GW's price is at the top of the private-school range.

The TLS Verdict

GW Law is the most natural fit in the country for students committed to government, public interest, national security, or Washington, D.C., private practice — and the clear #1 choice among part-time evening J.D. programs. The trade-offs are a very large class, a higher sticker price than some peers, and a slight discount in ultimate rank from top-tier competitors. For the right applicant, those trade-offs are more than offset by what the school's location, alumni network, and clerkship pipeline deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GW Law School's acceptance rate?

27.21% — 9,718 completed applications and 2,644 offers of admission (Fall 2025, ABA Standard 509), with 595 enrolling from the applicant pool and 17 deferrals, totaling 612 first-year students.

What LSAT score do I need?

Median 168, with a 25th–75th percentile range of 162–170 (Fall 2025). Full-time admissions typically center closer to 169–172; part-time admits span a wider range.

What GPA do I need?

Median 3.86, with a 25th–75th percentile range of 3.55–3.93 (Fall 2025).

How much is tuition?

$78,060 per year for full-time J.D. students (12+ credits) and $57,540 for part-time J.D. students (≤ 11 credits) in 2026–27, with a per-credit rate of $2,740.

What is GW's bar passage rate?

90.2% first-time (Class of 2025) and 95.8% ultimate two-year pass rate (U.S. News).

How strong is employment at GW?

98.6% of the Class of 2025 was employed within ten months of graduation; 95.1% held full-time, long-term bar-required positions; 9.5% entered federal clerkships (ILRG).

Does GW offer a part-time program?

Yes — an evening J.D. program ranked #2 nationally. Students typically complete the degree in 8 semesters (4 academic years) plus one summer session, taking 11 or fewer credits per semester, and may switch between full-time and part-time status.

Are scholarships conditional?

No — GW Law confirms that it does not award scholarships that are conditional on academic performance.

Contact and Key Links

George Washington University Law School

2000 H Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20052

Admissions Phone: 202-994-6280

Admissions Email: <[email protected]>

Law School Main Office: 202-994-1000

Career Center Phone: 202-994-7342

Official links

TLS Forum Links

Sources

The George Washington University Law School

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