The Catholic University of America - Columbus School of Law

The Columbus School of Law shines as a hidden gem within legal education in Washington, D.C. It is an academy composed of collegial and compassionate students, a supportive and academically distinguished faculty, and an accomplished and well-connected alumni base that stands ready to help today’s students reach their goals. Our students excel individually and collectively. They earn fellowships, externships, and scholarships; some also publish in law journals. Our moot court and trials teams win accolades in competitions from Puerto Rico to Vienna to Hong Kong. CUA Law students advocate for live clients through our pioneering legal clinic, proving daily the truth of the ancient maxim: I do and I understand. The faculty-student ratio is small. Professors go the extra mile to assist students with recommendations and in making professional connections. Add to this a law school environment noted for camaraderie, where students want to see each other succeed, and you have the foundation of an unforgettable law school experience. Teachers and doers, our full time and adjunct faculty members are professors, scholars, researchers, practitioners, and legal commentators of the first order. Some remain active in the courtroom. Others have authored benchmark texts in subjects such as torts and securities law. They present at conferences and on panels around the world. They are read, quoted, cited, and respected. Above all, our faculty is devoted to excellence in the teaching of law and to the performance success of our students. Our state-of-the-art building is located just minutes from the heart of Washington, D.C., the nation’s legal epicenter and the best city in America for the study of law. The Columbus School of Law has been a member of the Associa­tion of American Law Schools (AALS) since 1921 and the Ameri­can Bar Assoc­iation (ABA) since 1925. We invite you to explore our Web site and learn about what makes the Columbus School of Law stand apart. Since 1897, the law school has welcomed students of every faith and background, teaching, guiding, and assisting their transformation into some of the very best legal practitioners in America.

CUA Law Advantage

Located in Washington, D.C., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (CUA Law) is among the best choices you can make if your goal is to graduate with the skills — such as critical legal analysis, legal writing, and effective oral advocacy — that are essential to successful legal practice in the 21st century. At every turn, CUA Law’s approach to legal education can be summarized with three words: Practical, Focused, and Connected, also referred to as the CUA Law Advantage. This combined with a strong sense of service and being located in the nation’s capital make CUA Law a legal education experience that will allow you to grow both professionally and as an individual.

Service

CUA Law has a unique mission of service. This mission is exemplified by our dedication to pro bono work, a commitment shared by students, faculty and alumni alike. Clinical skills lie at the heart of how the law functions as a tool to help and protect others, especially society’s most vulnerable. Students who are drawn to service have many opportunities for engaging in long-term and short-term social justice projects, as well as student organizations that give back to the local community. CUA Law also assists students who wish to pursue post-graduate fellowships and other employment opportunities in public interest and public service settings.

Mission Statement Law

The Columbus School of Law is an integral part of The Catholic University of America and it supports and advances the aims and goals of the university as a whole, as they have been affirmed throughout the university's history and are currently stated in the university's mission statement. These aims and goals manifest themselves in a core commitment to the ideals of the dignity of each human person; respect for the inviolability of all human life; justice rooted in the common good; the recognition and protection of human rights as gifts of the Creator; care for the poor, the neglected, and the vulnerable; and the obligation of love for one another. As a law school, we strive to discover, preserve, and impart the truth in all its forms; to achieve academic distinction in the Catholic intellectual tradition; and to assure, in an institutional manner, faithfulness to the university's Christian inspiration. The school's sense of institutional integrity and community reflects its fidelity to Catholic ideals and beliefs. As such, the school is committed to fostering its already strong bonds of community by continuing to promote and maintain respect for and among faculty, administrators, students, staff, and alumni, and respect for the diversity of backgrounds, religious affiliations, viewpoints, and contributions that members bring to the law school community. We bring together an able and diverse student body and provide the students with an exceptional professional education designed to prepare and motivate them to serve with intelligence, integrity, and vigor the needs of clients, communities, the nation, civil society and the international community. We strive to impart to our students a comprehensive set of practical competencies, a broad range of doctrinal knowledge, and an unwavering commitment to the ethical practice of law. Beyond the first year of studies, we encourage students to consider participating in structured specialization through an array of institutes, clinical education, centers, and programs that enhance the skills that are essential to providing the highest quality legal representation. Through the provision of high-quality instruction, rigorous scholarship, professional achievement and community service, the law school is committed to making substantial and lasting contributions to the enrichment of knowledge, the integrity of the legal profession, and the enhancement of the welfare of the broader community, the nation, and the Church.