david a. clarke school of law

The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law traces its institutional lineage back to two antecedent educational entities: the Antioch School of Law and the District of Columbia School of Law. Founded in 1972 by Edgar S. and Jean Camper Cahn, the Antioch School of Law emerged as a notable advocate for the rights of marginalized populations, particularly individuals of low socioeconomic status and minority backgrounds. Moreover, the institution was steadfast in its commitment to training future lawyers with a strong inclination towards public interest work, pioneering a comprehensive clinical legal education model that has since been embraced, to varying degrees, by the majority of law schools across the nation.

However, in 1986, the Antioch University took a strategic decision to shutter numerous units, including the School of Law. In response to this development, the Council of the District of Columbia enacted legislation that led to the establishment of the District of Columbia School of Law. This new institution was expressly mandated to uphold and perpetuate the core tenets, curriculum, clinical programs, and staffing that had characterized the Antioch School of Law. In 1991, the District of Columbia School of Law secured provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association (ABA), and it promptly expanded its enrollment to encompass nearly 300 students.

Carrying forward the foundational principles of its predecessor, the reconstituted public law school was imbued with three statutory missions:

• To provide a comprehensive legal education that merges theoretical knowledge with practical skills, thereby empowering students to be effective and ethically conscious advocates.

• To actively recruit and enroll students from demographic groups that are traditionally underrepresented within the legal profession.

• To diligently address the legal requirements of low-income residents through the establishment and operation of legal clinics affiliated with the school.

In 1996, an additional legislative maneuver merged the School of Law with the University of the District of Columbia. Subsequently, on April 28, 1998, President Clinton sanctioned a legislative act renaming the institution to the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. The new nomenclature was a tribute to the memory and legacy of David A. Clarke, the former Chair of the D.C. Council, who was an impassioned advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes and was an ardent proponent of the School of Law’s educational, diversity-focused, and public service-oriented objectives. Notably, in 1998, the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law was accorded provisional ABA accreditation, followed by a formal application for full accreditation in 2004. The School of Law achieved full accreditation from the American Bar Association on August 8, 2005, with unanimous approval from the ABA House of Delegates.

In 2011, the School of Law moved its physical location to a new, state-of-the-art facility situated at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Yuma Street, known as 4340 Connecticut Avenue, NW, while in 2014, it expanded its portfolio of legal clinics to include two new additions. These nine distinct clinics encompass Community Development, Criminal Defense and Racial Justice, General Practice, Housing Advocacy and Litigation, Immigration & Human Rights, Legislation, Tax, Whistleblower Protection, and Youth Justice. Through these clinics and other experiential learning programs, the faculty and students of the School’s legal program collectively provide in excess of 100,000 hours of legal services annually to the residents of the District of Columbia.