Why Washington U?

Ginkgo Trees
Gingko Trees in Autumn on the WashU Campus

Washington University offers a strong legal foundation on which to build your future.  Our  students, alumni and  faculty, would probably tell you one or more of the following features made the difference for them.  Take a few moments to consider what distinguishes us from other highly-regarded law schools.

  • Outstanding Faculty who have consistently been recognized for their commitment to teaching and for their accessibility to students.
  • First-year class sizes among the smallest of the top law schools with half of first year courses having about 40 students or less.
  • After the first year self-scheduled examinations provide students with the ability to personalize their final exam schedules.
  • A Clinical Education Program, in which Washington University Law students have the opportunity to participate, ranked 4th among law schools by U.S. News and World Report.
  • Through the Congressional and Administrative Law Clinic, Washington University is one of very few law schools with the ability to offer students the chance to work as full-time interns on Capitol Hill.
  • Career Services Office with a professional staff of five experienced attorneys who are committed to assisting each student with their career goals while continually seeking to develop new markets and employment opportunities..
  • Scholarship awards represent three-year commitments. Our students have the security of knowing they will continue to receive their scholarships regardless of their class rank.
  • A longstanding commitment to Public Service demonstrated by our Clinical Education Program, Webster Society Scholarships, summer public interest stipends, Public Service Project, Mel Brown Family Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and other related initiatives.
  • Our facility, Anheuser-Busch Hall, continues to maintain its position as having one of the most technically advanced infrastructures among law  schools.
  • A highly collegial student body.
  • A nationally ranked Trial Advocacy Program in which virtually all students participate.
  • The Whitney R. Harris Institute World Law Institute, which functions as a center for instruction and research in international and comparative law.
  • The Transnational Law Program (TLP), a first-of-its-kind offering for students in both the United States and Europe. The new four-year combined degree program is being offered in association with four prestigious European universities: Utrecht, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Trento (Italy), and Catholic University of Portugal.
  • The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, which supports interdisciplinary legal research and scholarship by sponsoring annual programs and activities that focus on cutting-edge legal issues and that require expertise, exploration, and discussion from other disciplines.