George Washington University Law School

The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of courses in the US, with 275 elective courses in business and finance law, environmental law, government procurement law, intellectual property law, international comparative law, litigation and dispute resolution, and national security and U.S. foreign relations law. Admissions are highly selective as the law school receives thousands of applications. In 2020, the acceptance rate was 21%. GW Law has an alumni network that includes notable people within the fields of law and government, including the former U.S. Attorney General, the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, foreign heads of state, judges of the International Court of Justice, ministers of foreign affairs, a Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, a Director of the CIA, members of U.S. Congress, U.S. State Governors, four Directors of the FBI, and numerous Federal judges. The law school publishes nine student-run journals and hosts highly ranked skills competitions, such as the Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition. History The George Washington University Law School was founded in the 1820s but closed in 1826 due to low enrollment. The law school's first two professors were William Cranch, chief justice of the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia and second reporter of the U.S. Supreme Court, and William Thomas Carroll, a descendant of Charles Carroll the Settler and clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1827 until his death in 1863. The law school was reestablished in 1865 and was the first law school in the District of Columbia.