PRACTICE LAW.
PROMOTE JUSTICE.
CHANGE LIVES.
The mission of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law is to recruit and enroll students from groups underrepresented at the bar, to provide a well-rounded theoretical and practical legal education that will enable students to be effective and ethical advocates and to represent the legal needs of low-income District of Columbia residents through the school’s legal clinics.
Acting Dean’s Message
Thank you for considering UDC Law! I am delighted you are thinking of joining the Firebird Nation.
Welcome to the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law).
I am so humbled and thrilled to serve as Acting Dean at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law! Former Dean Renée Hutchins was a great leader who has made an incredible impact on this institution. As I step into this role, I am confident that – alongside our talented and dedicated faculty and staff members, exceptional students, passionate alumni and supportive community – we will remain firmly aligned with our mission to practice law, promote justice and change lives.
UDC Law is unique as the only public law school in D.C. and one of only six HBCU law schools across the United States, and 2022 is a year of celebration for the us. For 50 years, we have provided vital legal services for the D.C. community and transformational legal training for our students. Today, clinical legal education has become the norm across law schools, and I am so proud to be part of the legacy that paved the way – and I look forward to continued excellence.
In fact, our Clinical Program consistently stands out, ranked at number five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. That honor could not be achieved without our nationally recognized clinical faculty, outstanding students and robust set of experiential program offerings including community service placement, funded summer fellowships, guided externships and service-learning trips.
We have built a strong foundation over our half century, and as Acting Dean, I plan to continue our growth by not only remaining committed to our mission to increase educational access to law degrees but also to creating opportunity through innovative educational experiences and exposure. We will use what we’ve learned from the shift in education delivery caused by the pandemic to provide a modern, adaptable legal education for our students.
Transitions can be challenging, but I have the utmost faith in the whole UDC Law community. Our students are enthusiastic about the law, our alumni do amazing work, our faculty members lead in their expertise areas and our staff members bring countless years of valuable experience. Over the next year, we will continue to innovate and strengthen our institution. This means allowing what works to continue to work and focusing our efforts on those areas that need attention. Together, we will preserve our culture of collegiality and professional respect. We will celebrate our successes, and I will nurture our team by providing developmental support for staff and continued academic and research support for faculty. To facilitate our continued success and to ensure our commitment to our mission, I will listen to the needs of our community, create pathways for transparency and consistency and strengthen collaboration between each member of the UDC Law family.
It is an absolute honor to lead UDC Law through this transition, maintain the highest standards of academic excellence and to do my part in continuing to set the tone for the next 50 years of UDC Law.
Sincerely,
Twinette Johnson, J.D., Ph.D., Acting Dean
UDC Law is unique as the only public law school in D.C. and one of only six HBCU schools across the United States.
HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL.
UDC Law champions diversity in the legal profession and combines an academic program of access and excellence with a deeply held belief in the transformative power of the law.
The law school building – just steps away from the UDC-Van Ness Metro stop – means our students enjoy easy access to all the District of Columbia has to offer. With the District’s expansive public transit system and highly walkable network of neighborhood streets, our perfectly positioned campus in Northwest is only a short Metrorail or Metrobus ride to Federal Triangle and the many non-profit organizations, cooperatives and D.C. government agencies and courts where our student attorneys learn to practice law by serving District residents in need.
The District offers unparalleled cultural opportunities as well, with countless historic sites and museums free and open to the public. Whether you’re walking along the historic U Street Corridor or enjoying Dupont Circle, D.C. boasts a vibrant night life and a burgeoning food scene with a wealth of diverse neighborhood restaurants that have earned D.C.’s place as the nation’s culinary capital.
UDC Law offers its students a first-rate education at an exceptionally affordable price, holding out the promise to meaningful employment without the burden of unmanageable student debt. Our school boasts the lowest law school tuition rates in the region, and the law school also guarantees to qualifying first-year law students up to $5,000 for summer public interest fellowships, enabling students to acquire 400 hours of real-world legal training through summer placements at public interest and governmental organizations.
One of the nation’s few law schools at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), UDC Law champions diversity in the legal profession and combines an academic program of access and excellence with a deeply held belief in the transformative power of the law. Our law school is home to one of the most diverse law school student bodies in the nation, with significant representation by women, people of color and older students. The Princeton Review (2019) ranks UDC Law No. 1 in the nation for “Most Chosen by Older Students,” No. 2 for “Most Diverse Faculty,” No. 4 for “Greatest Resources for Women” and No. 5 for “Greatest Resources for Minority Students.”
Through UDC Law’s Clinical and Experiential Programs, our law students gain the experience they need to graduate practice-ready while advancing the law school’s historic mission of providing critical legal services to low-income Washingtonians.
1. UDC Law Standard 509 ABA Information Report 2018
PRACTICAL TRAINING WHILE PROMOTING JUSTICE.
UDC Law pioneered clinical legal education in America. Nearly fifty years since the law school’s founding, clinical legal education has emerged as a core feature of every law school in the country, and UDC Law’s Clinical Program is consistently ranked among the best in the nation for clinical legal education by U.S. News & World Report.
Please note that not all clinics are offered every semester.
Community Development Law Clinic
Represents nonprofit organizations and small, urban entrepreneurs in support of community building efforts by low-wealth communities in the District of Columbia
Criminal Law Clinic
Defends adults charged with misdemeanors, minors facing delinquency proceedings, and clients seeking to seal criminal records. Operated in partnership with Rising for Justice
General Practice Clinic
Provides comprehensive civil legal services to low-income and elderly District residents, representing clients in areas such as family law, public benefits and estate planning
Housing Advocacy and Litigation Clinic
Fights for quality affordable housing for low-income District residents, defending against illegal rent increases and evictions and bringing affirmative litigation to combat housing discrimination and other abuses.
Immigration & Human Rights Clinic
Provides direct representation to survivors of persecution and violence before the U.S. Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals and other administrative and court venues.
Legislation Clinic
Undertakes systemic reform and public policy projects that advance the public interest through quality representation to local organizations in need of legislative lawyering services
Tax Clinic
Provides students with hands-on experience representing taxpayers with active tax controversies before the IRS, in U.S. Tax Court and – in limited instances – state tax agencies
Whistleblower Protection Clinic
Based at the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, represents government and private sector employees who expose abuses of power that betray the public trust
Youth Justice Clinic
Represents children, youthful offenders, parents/guardians or other interested stakeholders in delinquency appeals, sentencing challenges or other cases or causes that present youth justice issues
Explore more from our Clinical Program.
ESTABLISHING YOUR CAREER.
UDC Law graduates enjoy prominent positions in diverse practice areas spanning governmental, public interest and private practice. Our dedication to public service is well known and respected by employers, and we are ranked No. 2 in the nation by Law.com (2019) for government and public interest job placement. As a result, graduating students are perfectly positioned for high-quality employment.
The below list represents just a few of the many employers with whom UDC Law graduates practice law.
Government
U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Council of the District of Columbia
U.S. Social Security Administration
U.S. Small Business Administration
Library of Congress
U.S. Navy JAG Corps
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
D.C. Department of Energy and Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. General Services Administration
Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing
and Regulation
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
U.S. Office of Personnel Management,
Office of the Inspector General
Federal Communications Commission
Office of the State Superintendent of
Education
U.S. Senate Committee on Aging
New York City Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Department of the Navy
D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music
and Entertainment
D.C. Office of the People’s Counsel
Federal Election Commission
U.S. House of Representatives
Law Firms
Noble & Vrapi
Paul Weiss
Reed Smith
Baker & Hostetler
Goldblatt Martin Posen LLP
Griffin, Murphy & Wiggins, LLP
Ashcraft & Gerel
Byrd & Byrd
Delaney McKinney LLP
Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost
Baker Donelson
Vasseghi Law, PLLC
WMR Immigration Law Group, LLC
Jayson Farthing Skafidas Wright
WMR Immigration Law Group, LLC
U.S. Department of Transportation
Martin F. McMahon & Associates
Price Benowitz, LLP
Simeone & Miller, LLP
Kinnear Law Office, LLC
New Weiming Law Group
Hartel DeSantis & Howie, LLP
Benach Collopy, LLP
Pasternak & Fidis, P.C.
Colucci Law Group
Lewis & Tompkins, P.C.
Public Interest/Nonprofit
Legal Services of Northern Virginia
Disability Rights D.C.
Disability Rights California
AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly
District of Columbia Public Defender
Services
Miami-Dade Public Defender
National Academy of Sciences
Association of American Medical Colleges
D.C. Affordable Law Firm
D.C. SAFE
Committee for Public Counsel Services
– The Public Defender Agency of
Massachusetts (Boston, MA)
Inter-American Development Bank
National Center for Youth Law
Break the Cycle
March of Dimes
ACLU of the District of Columbia Neighborhood Legal Services Program
The Center for Responsive Politics
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
International Refugee Assistance Project
Service Employees International Union
National Center for Victims of Crime
United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops
Business
Discovery, Inc.
Discover Financial Services, Inc.
Bloomberg GNA
Engility Corporation
IBM
AOL-Huffington Post
Ally Financial (Charlotte, NC)
Keller Williams Capital Properties (Washington, DC)
BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Novato, CA)
CACI International, Inc. (Alexandria, VA)
Booz Allen Hamilton (Washington, DC)
Integrated Technology Solutions, Inc. – ITSI (Columbia, MD)
Judicial Clerkships
District of Columbia Superior Court
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Maryland Circuit Court
Maryland District Court
Maryland Court of Special Appeals
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (although this clerkship hasn’t started yet)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Delaware Family Court
Michigan 7th Circuit Court (Flint, MI)
Supreme Court of Virginia (not sure if this was a clerkship though)
Superior Court of California
Superior Court of Virginia
Superior Court of Alaska
OUTSTANDING VALUE.
UDC Law is the District’s most affordable law school, with preferential tuition rates for residents of D.C. and the D.C. Metro area. Our small size and 8:1 student to faculty ratio foster a spirit of support and collaboration and deliver outstanding value.
Day-Time Student Annual Tuition Fees
DC RESIDENT
$12,438
METRO RESIDENT
$18,656
NON RESIDENT
$24,873
Evening Student Annual Tuition Fees
DC RESIDENT
$9,284
METRO RESIDENT
$13,882
NON RESIDENT
$18,546
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson mandela
THE NEXT STEP.
Applying to UDC Law: Navigating our Application Process
- Research: Research the school and be cognizant of application deadline.
- Connect: Attend a recruiting event the University of the District of Columbia is hosting or participating in.
- Register: Sign up for a secure account at LSAC.org. Sign up for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) on LSAC.org.
- Prepare: Prepare for the LSAT. Sign up for the preparatory program that best fits your learning style.
- Apply: Complete application and apply via LSAC.org. The LSAC school code for UDC Law is 5245.
- Track: Track the status of your application through link provided after application is received by UDC Law.
- Complete: Complete FAFSA application at fafsa.ed.gov. The UDC Law FAFSA code is B08083.
| September 25 | Fall Application Opens |
| October 1 | FAFSA Becomes Available School Code: B08083 |
| February 15 | Priority Fall Application Deadline |
| May 1 | Fall Application Deadline |
| June 30 | Need-Based Scholarship Deadline |
Get in touch with an Admission Representative today!
(202) 274-7341
4340 Connecticut Ae NW
Washington, DC 20008
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UDC Law is proud to be part of a University committed to developing transformative, ethical leaders and improving access to economic opportunity for all. The University of the District of Columbia is the pinnacle of the public system of education in the District. An education here opens doors to opportunities that can only be found in the nation’s capital.
Know your UDC
UDC is the only public institution of higher learning in the District of Columbia.
UDC serves all aspects of the District community, in addition to students from around the nation and the world.
UDC has the most affordable tuition of any university in the District. (collegecalc.org)
UDC has the safest college campus in the District. (ADTsecurity.com)
UDC has the lowest faculty-student ratio of any college in the region.
UDC ranks in the top ten of 102 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. (Wall Street Journal)
UDC is the nation’s only exclusively urban land-grant university.
