Office of Admissions, 2900 Van Ness Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 202.806.8008/8009; Fax: 202.806.8162
E-mail: admissions@law.howard.edu; Website: www.law.howard.edu
Howard University, a coeducational, private institution in Washington, DC, was chartered by the US Congress in 1867. Howard is historically (and continues to be) a majority African American institution that offers an educational experience of exceptional quality and value to students with high academic potential. Particular emphasis is placed on providing educational opportunities for promising African Americans and other persons of color who are underrepresented in the legal profession, as well as for nonminority persons with a strong interest in civil and human rights and public service. The main campus of Howard is located in northwest Washington, DC, on Georgia Avenue, and the law school is located on a separate 22-acre campus on Van Ness Street NW, adjacent to Connecticut Avenue, approximately three miles from the main campus.
The School of Law opened its doors in 1869. Originally, there was a great need to train lawyers with a strong commitment to helping black Americans secure and protect their newly established rights. Today, as a national law school, Howard is dedicated to protecting the rights of all Americans and understands that its place in the annals of legal history demands that it maintains and exemplifies truth, equality, and excellence in the pursuit of justice. The law school has a diverse student body and faculty. Howard University School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, and certifies its graduates for bar examination in all jurisdictions of the United States.
The School of Law has a strong commitment to public service and to human and civil rights. Many programs and activities of the school reflect that fact. The school also provides an opportunity for clinical experience in civil and criminal litigation. Howard law school also offers a summer study-abroad program in comparative and international law at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The six-week program is approved by the ABA and offers constitutional, business, and trade law courses for credit. A student-exchange program has been established with Vermont Law School, University of New Mexico School of Law, and Maine School of Law. Through the exchange program, a limited number of third-year JD students may spend a semester at one of these law schools to take advantage of curricular offerings that may be of specific interest to them. The Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ) is concerned with disparity of access to, and exploitation of, intellectual property as it relates to racial and economic inequities. IIPSJ's focus is on examining and utilizing intellectual property to advance social justice in this country and globally. IIPSJ sponsors numerous programs for students, attorneys, and judges; publishes papers; and supports externships for students.
The curriculum leading to the first degree in law covers three academic years of two semesters each. During the first two years, emphasis is on the fundamental analytical concepts and skills of the law and the system by which it is administered—the functions required of a lawyer within a legal system based upon the common law. The curriculum in the third year provides diversified experiences, especially for students in the clinical programs. Students are encouraged to participate in one of the seven clinics or externships that are in nonprofits, governmental agencies, and other public interest settings.
The School of Law offers programs leading to the Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) for foreign law graduates, and Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) degrees.
An applicant to the JD program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university before enrolling in the Howard University School of Law. Competitive numerical predictors for admission to Howard University include a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score of 153 and above and an undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA) of 3.4. In addition to the LSAT score and UGPA, we consider the rigor of an applicant's undergraduate course of study, letters of recommendation (particularly from faculty members who have taught the applicant), any graduate study, employment, extracurricular activities, and other indicators of potential for success in law school and excellence in the profession.
Applicants to the JD/MBA program must apply and meet the independent admission requirements of both schools, including completion of the GMAT.
The LLM program offers foreign law graduates an opportunity to further their legal studies through advanced study and research. To be admitted as a candidate for the LLM degree, applicants must be in high academic standing; have a degree in law from an accredited foreign university or its equivalent (as determined by the faculty of law); and have some experience in the judiciary, administrative establishment, bar, or law faculty.
Howard University School of Law has a state-of-the-art, four-story, 76,000-square-foot law library. This facility provides space for a book collection of up to 215,000 volumes; seating for over 295 students (more than 70 percent of the student population), including 90 open carrels, with all locations wired for computer use; enlarged microfilm and audiovisual facilities; and distinctive rooms of wood and brick for special collections, newspaper and periodical reading, and the rare book collection.
The law library is both a working collection for law students and lawyers and a research institution for legal scholars. The civil rights archive contains briefs, working papers, and materials of the NAACP and other civil rights organizations. The library has a collection that emphasizes civil and political rights and literature to support study of the legal problems of the poor. Its collection has been expanded to also include considerable CD-ROM resources. The law library has an online catalog system, e-mail capabilities, and Internet access.
The Howard Law Journal publishes scholarly articles for academic and professional interest. The national, international, and trial advocacy moot court teams, which sponsor intramural competition and participate in competitions nationwide, have won numerous honors. The Student Bar Association is the general student governing organization. The Barrister, the student newspaper, publishes several issues a year. Other organizations represent students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including African Americans, Latinos, Africans, Caribbean Islanders, and Asian Pacific Islanders.
The Office of Career Services is an integral part of the law school. To assist students, the office offers workshops on job-search techniques and résumé writing, as well as seminars on career development and practice specialties. The office also maintains an extensive resource library with online employer research systems, newsletters, and updated listings of career opportunities. Each year, the Office of Career Services sponsors two on-campus interview programs, and more than 220 recruiters from law firms, government agencies, and corporations interview promising students and graduates for a broad array of employment opportunities. Approximately 1,670 interviews are scheduled annually. Graduates receive highly competitive and prestigious judicial clerkships and work for large, medium, and small private firms; federal, state, and local government agencies; public interest organizations; and public and private corporations throughout the United States.
This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.
| GPA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT Score |
3.75+ Apps |
3.75+ Adm |
3.50– 3.74 Apps |
3.50– 3.74 Adm |
3.25– 3.49 Apps |
3.25– 3.49 Adm |
3.00– 3.24 Apps |
3.00– 3.24 Adm |
2.75– 2.99 Apps |
2.75– 2.99 Adm |
2.50– 2.74 Apps |
2.50– 2.74 Adm |
2.25– 2.49 Apps |
2.25– 2.49 Adm |
2.00– 2.24 Apps |
2.00– 2.24 Adm |
Below 2.00 Apps |
Below 2.00 Adm |
No GPA Apps |
No GPA Adm |
Total Apps |
Total Adm |
| LSAT score 175–180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LSAT score 170–174 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| LSAT score 165–169 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 |
| LSAT score 160–164 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 43 |
| LSAT score 155–159 | 18 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 51 | 38 | 46 | 32 | 32 | 24 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 211 | 145 |
| LSAT score 150–154 | 25 | 16 | 56 | 38 | 109 | 61 | 96 | 49 | 81 | 27 | 44 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 457 | 199 |
| LSAT score 145–149 | 26 | 12 | 79 | 24 | 104 | 10 | 131 | 11 | 85 | 1 | 61 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 546 | 59 |
| LSAT score 140–144 | 15 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 77 | 1 | 62 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 368 | 4 |
| LSAT score 135–139 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 131 | 0 |
| LSAT score 130–134 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| LSAT score 125–129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| LSAT score 120–124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 95 | 48 | 226 | 96 | 348 | 121 | 401 | 101 | 313 | 59 | 234 | 27 | 134 | 3 | 46 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 1851 | 460 |
Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 99% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.