George Washington University Law School
Insider Reviews
from students and alumni of george-washington-law
As a class of ’08 grad, career counseling at GW was limited to on-campus recruiting for large firms (of which I did well in, but ultimelty took a job in government). GW is expensive and there are few to no grants or scholarships. Lastly, there is absolutly no faculty interaction with students. It is a commuter campus, so don’t plan to know any of your fellow classmates unless you sit next to them.
Alumni
Get to know your professors, particularly if you plan to practice in either IP or government contracts. They can be invaluable in helping you get employment.
Alumni
Great mix of people, largely lacking a sense of entitlement. It’s great to be two years out of college and see the wonderful places my classmates have landed.
Alumni
GW is a very collegial, friendly place to study law. Additionally, it is a great place to study and network for engineers and scientists who want to make the transition to IP law or government regulation.
Alumni
Many people on GW’s faculty have actually practiced law instead of just living in academia. It’s a lawyer’s law school. I was really, really pleased with the education I received.
Alumni
The career center was very good at bringing in many firms for OCI, but the economy changed that. Now, if you’re not top 10%, you are better off finding career help elsewhere. The faculty are generally excellent and engaged with their classes. There are more legal opportunites just by the sheer fact that the law school is in DC.
Alumni
When I went to GW Law, the career office was outstanding – they really helped me figure out what I wanted to do, how to write a good resume and cover letter, and I got a job. What else can I say?
Alumni
Smartest, most approachable faculty.
Alumni
The faculty are generally really great and I felt like I got a very good education. But, that education didn’t include such practical things such as “how to file a complaint.” The school has a very collegial feeling and everyone is really friendly. My classmates were always helpful and willing to share outlines, explain concepts, etc. despite the fact that we were graded on a curve. The environment never felt very competitive–it felt like we were there to help each other. And, the law school seemed to do a good job of fostering that environment. The faculty are unlikely to be helpful in connecting students/grads with potential employers, unless you’re in the very top of the class. For those students, faculty members will make phone calls but, otherwise, you’re kind of on your own. The Career Office employs a lot of career counselors but most of them are also useless. They do not do a good job of connecting students/grads with alums working in fields that they’re interested in. They really put that on the student to do herself. I’ve felt like the job search has really been left to me to do alone with not much support–even though I regularly meet with career counselors even 1.5 years after graduating. The financial aid folks are wonderful and really knowledgeable about how to take out loans but can’t provide any help when it comes to repayment. I was specifically told by someone in that office that they’re really trained to help people while they’re students and that doesn’t include repayment–that happens after graduation and is, therefore, outside their realm of expertise. Again, I felt very alone trying to navigate the repayment options. I also felt like the law school kind of screwed me on financial aid. They offered me a grant for my 1L year which I thought would increase with each passing year as my income decreased. (I was making a decent salary before law school and it affected the fin aid info I submitted for both 1L & 2L years.) That did not happen. They cut my grant by quite a bit for my 2L year and then 3L year they brought it back up to what it had been 1L year. It didn’t seem like they were really basing it on financial need in any accurate way. Had I known that my grant wouldn’t have been consistent or raised, I may have gone to a school that offered me scholarships for all 3 years throughout, even though they weren’t as highly ranked.
Alumni
Debt matters a lot. Law school = vocational school.
Alumni
I might feel less positively about GW if I hadn’t worked through school and therefore: (1) had very little to do with it as an institution, and (2) already had a job lined up more or less.
Alumni
Excellent teachers and excellent facilities. An intelligent, driven student body, most of whom are enjoying their law school experience. Superb educational oppertunities for internships and employment in public and private practice – especially in the Washington, DC metro area.
Alumni
It’s presence in downtown DC makes it great to find a wide range of legal internships, and the school gives you credit for them. That being said, the economy is so bad that even myself (until halfway through 3L year) and an enormous number of my friends with stacked credentials, including being in the top 10 or 20% of my class, are desperately struggling to find employment. I’m confident the bottom of the class is in much worse straights.
3L
The law school experience varies tremendously from person to person. GW Law, however, is the kind of school that is diverse and large enough where almost everyone can find something for them. I.e., if you’re an intellectual, there are plenty of those here, though presumably less than T14 schools. If you are a party animal, the bar review group is pretty gun-ho too. Basically, good all-around experience.
3L
Career services knows very little about legal markets outside of DC. Expect to do extra leg work if you don’t want to end up in DC or NY. / / A veritable Mecca for IP law recruiting. Firms are always recruiting 1Ls and 2Ls eligible to sit for the patent bar. / / This past fall (2011), GW had nearly all of the Vault 100 firms participating in OCI (notable exceptions: Wachtel, Cravath, W&C).
2L
Exactly what happens to the students who do not make the top 35% of the class rankings. A large number of my law school compatriots (perhaps 65%?) are struggling to find positions for their 2L summer and the CDO (career services) doesn’t seem to provide any further support once the on-campus interview program has ended.
2L
GW does not place well at biglaw. The numbers are misleading because they include IP, which GW does place well. But the biglaw numbers are skewed thanks to IP and most likely, unreliable CSO reporting.
2L
GW has a great Government Contracts program. If potential applicants have any interest in that area, they should consider GW.
3L
I honestly love the school. Could not imagine a better student body or more opportunities to succeed (I’m obviously not the normal negative ATL reader).
Incredibly interesting and nice people. There’s a strong sense of community and very few gunners that will try to undercut you–practically none, really. People share notes all the time and don’t get weird if you ask for them when you missed class. / / Profs tend to have very strong work backgrounds, especially in D.C. government work, that they bring to bear in class.
2L
Law school does not have to be painful. GW’s as close as you can get to a “party law school.”
1L
The level of instruction at GW Law has been great. The evening program gets the same professors as the full-time program and most professors seem to genuinely care about evening students.
1L
TONS of ways to get practical experience via externships, clinics, and practical courses focused on actually negotiating, drafting, etc. Being in DC is also really important because you have many, many more options for externships and the like, all during the semester when the whole law school world isn’t collapsing on DC (unlike the summer).
3L
Well, first I would tell ATL that I attend The George Washington University Law School, not “School of Law.” After that I would tell potential applicants that GW is a diploma mill that provides inadequate support for students pursuing careers/internships in public interest, that it’s financial aid and public interest stipends are a joke, and that, like most law schools, career services will have nothing helpful to say to you unless you got a job at OCI.
3L
GW is the type of school where if you work hard and climb to the top of the class (at least top 25%) then you will have the world of opportunities. I know of several students working for V-5 firms and a number of students working for “lower” ranked big law firms. I also have classmates going into a federal government honors program. On the other hand, GW is also the type of school where if you do not find your way to the top of the class you will likely find yourself scrambling to find anything at all. The level of anxiety among 3Ls is particularly high. The above thoughts also relate to transfer students, as I know transfer students at V-5 firms and transfer students who have failed to find anything at all. Sorry to focus entirely on jobs but, to be frank, that is why most of us come to law school. GW is a fun place to study, but I suspect that many of the students would trade that fun for a job any day of the week.
3L
Work hard. Top of the class can land a job at any firm in the country. Outside the top 15%, however, is another story filled with misery. When I got my biglaw offer I felt like I had won the lottery, but I couldn’t really tell anyone because most of the other students are quite pessimistic. So work hard.
3L
good social life, good location for internships, [bad] career counseling for public interest. and no funding for public interest
3L
