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September 28, 2022

How to Get Into Georgetown Law [Episode 489]

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Dreaming of a spot at Georgetown Law? Here’s all you need to know [Show Summary]

It’s hard to get a law education any closer to the heartbeat of policy and legal action than at Washington D.C.’s Georgetown Law School, labeled by the Washington Post as “the country’s most popular law school.” Andrew Cornblatt, the Dean of Admissions explains exactly what it takes to get accepted to this top-ranked and highly competitive program .

Interview with Andrew Cornblatt, Dean of Admissions at Georgetown Law [Show Notes]

Thanks for joining me for the 489th episode of Admissions Straight Talk . Are you applying to law school this cycle? Are you planning ahead to apply to law school next year or perhaps later? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted’s Law School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/law-quiz , complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus it’s all free. 

For today’s interview, I’m delighted to have Andrew Cornblatt, Metta and Keith Krach Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment at Georgetown Law . A graduate of Harvard University and Boston College School of Law, Dean Cornblatt has been a member of the Georgetown community since 1980. He became Dean of Admissions at Georgetown Law in 1991 and served as Dean of Admissions at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, now the McCourt School of Public Policy from 2002 to 2016. It’s hard to find someone with more experience in admissions.

Can you give an overview of the more distinctive elements of the Georgetown Law School JD program? [2:36]

I think the two things that are most unique about Georgetown are its size and its location. Georgetown Law is a large law school. I think it’s among the largest in the United States, with 575 entering students. Even though it’s a big law school, we work very hard to make it a big law school with a small law school feel. These are small classes and the campus is beautiful. It’s like a small college with lots of different buildings. We pay particular attention to individual students and their needs. We have big programs, but we have individual people who deserve individual attention and that’s what we focus on. 

As far as location goes, we’re right at the heart of Washington D.C. in the center of law in the USA. This is where everything gets made, interpreted, enforced, and implemented. That all happens within a 10-block radius of where I’m sitting right now in my office. When you have that as a resource, and that’s available to you, it enhances the electricity of what you’re studying. It’s hands-on stuff, but it allows Georgetown to be at the crossroads of theory and practice.

When I went to law school all those years ago, and when people go to law school now, so much of it is about the theory of law and what happened way back then and cases from the 1800s. All of that’s important. I’m not saying it isn’t. But this generation of law students is hands-on. They watch it happen on video. They stay attuned to every development every 10th of a second through social media and all of the alerts they get. This is a place that’s right at the center of all of that. That’s part of our course structure too. The plus side of being at a big law school is you have that many more courses from which to choose. But if you want to know where the heart is beating, it’s right outside my window. I think that’s what excites students when they come here.

What are some of the programs that are unique to Georgetown Law because of its location? [5:39]

Let me give you two, even though there are probably 200. 

So first, all law schools have clinical programs. It’s a sort of supervised practice where you represent clients. All the clinics are different. Georgetown has the most in the country. This is an expensive education, but we are committed to doing this. You will take your first-year classes, then during the second or third year, mostly in the third year, you’ll be a member of a clinic, which will be for course credit. You could be representing juveniles, tenants, immigrants, or anyone else. You could be prosecuting cases. There are a million different things. Anybody listening here can find all of those on the web. But being in Washington allows you to have that type of commitment as well as the resources, judges, and access to courts that are nearby. 

Second, which is completely unique to Georgetown, is our Supreme Court Institute. The Supreme Court Institute is a program that was started maybe 20 years ago where all the Supreme Court cases going before the court are practiced here at Georgetown. When I started, we were at 85%, but now I think we’re at 99%. 

I’ll give you a current example. As many of your listeners know, there’s a very important Supreme Court case, mixing the University of North Carolina and Harvard about the use of affirmative action. That case is about to be argued in front of the Supreme Court at the end of October or early November. In the middle of October, I have a rare ticket to this. I will be going down in our replica of the Supreme Court, right here on campus, and there will be a limited number of us that we will sit in as the attorneys for one side. You can only do one side. They sort of try their case. Then we’ll have judges, we’ll play the role of justices. It’s very informative. You get to hear this stuff and how they get questioned. A Supreme Court Institute isn’t going to happen somewhere else. It’s going to happen in D.C. That’s sort of a DC-ish kind of thing. Add to that job and internship opportunities and that’s where D.C. really kicks in as part of the law student’s experience.

Can you touch on what Curriculum A and Curriculum B are, which are offered to first-year students? [8:41]

In almost every law school, during the first year, you take what the school tells you to take. It’s not that different from what I took when I was a first-year student. At Georgetown, you have a choice of whether you want to be in Curriculum A or Curriculum B. We have five sections of roughly 90 to 100 students per section. Four of the sections are Curriculum A and one of the sections is Curriculum B. This is shorthand for all of this, but the main difference is Curriculum B gets at more of the why and not only the what. If you are in Curriculum A, you’re going to be studying cases and learning through the case method. You do that with Curriculum B as well, but you’ll also be learning what was going on in the country at that time. It’s a more “liberal artsy,” if you will, approach to this. It’s geared toward students who learn best this way and really want to know the context. 

You’ll get some of that in Curriculum A. You’ll get some of that at every law school. But it’s where the emphasis is. Curriculum B is designed for more students. In curriculum B, we combine classes. It’s more sort of horizontal learning rather than just vertical, encompassing other disciplines. It’s interdisciplinary. It’s not dramatically different. No, one’s getting out of the first year of law school at Georgetown without learning the basics. But if you do Curriculum B, you’ll get more context that way. 

Are the Bar passage rates the same for Curriculum A and B? [10:53]

Yes. And the employment rate is the same as well as success in the second and third year. It wouldn’t last as long as it’s lasted if that weren’t the case.

What was Georgetown’s experience this past cycle following the stratospheric surge of the 2020-2021 cycle, which brought a 41% increase in applications? What do you anticipate for the upcoming cycle? [11:47]

The 2020-2021 cycle was exhausting. It was like this rocket ship we all got on, and all of a sudden we’re going way up and we’re not coming down and then all of a sudden we landed and realized we were up 41%. This past year, we were down 19%. So over the two years, that put us up about 13%. 

There’s some gravity here. If you think back on the entering class of 2021, we had a presidential race, and we had all sorts of legal matters. The attention on law was so dramatic and vivid and all-encompassing. I have to say, for the most part in a positive way, that lawyers and judges were supplying the guardrails to all of this. Add that to COVID, and people wanted to look toward the future. I think that’s what caused this. The quality of our applicants went way up and stayed up, which is terrific. 

Looking at the upcoming cycle, the short answer is I don’t know. Before the surge, we were 10,000 applicants at Georgetown. During the surge, we were at 14,100. Last year, we were 11,300. If I had to bet this year, we’ll be about 10,500. I think it’ll drop a little. I don’t know that for sure, but I think it will. I’m excited to see what happens next. I think it’s still going to be very difficult to get into places. I can only speak for Georgetown, but it won’t be at the 14,000 level. I’m almost sure. I don’t think anyone will ever see that again.

Georgetown accepts the LSAT, the GRE or the GMAT. Approximately what percentage of applicants are applying with the different tests? [14:53]

Roughly 92% are applying with the LSAT. I would say roughly 7% are applying with the GRE. And 1% are applying with the GMAT. It’s still very much tilted towards the LSAT, which is fine. I tell applicants all the time to decide which one shows them off the best , take some sample tests, and see how it feels. If they do well, that’s the one they should take. We were one of the first schools that were allowed to use the GRE, and at the moment, it felt like an earthquake, but now it’s just a little tremor. Everyone sort of settled down and realized we can live with this. 

Are most of the students who are taking the GRE or the GMAT applying to dual degree programs? [15:57]

I wouldn’t say most, I would say a lot. Certainly more than the LSAT. With introducing the GMAT and GRE, we were anxious to get more non-traditional applicants or older applicants. Those applicants for whom the LSAT was sort of Mount Everest to climb , but they really would like to do law. It’s worked out well for us.

Are you finding that these tools are equally predictive of success in law school? [16:38]

Yes, for sure.

If the ABA were to decide not to require a test, which they’re obviously considering at this point, would you like to see Georgetown retain a test requirement, issue waivers, or perhaps go entirely test-optional? [16:44]

I think the ABA will allow us to do it. I think it’ll go school by school. I don’t know for sure because I need to talk to the Dean and alums and all the other stakeholders in this. If I had to bet today, I would bet we would be test-optional. I think we will be working on finding the right language to say, “Look, if you are somebody for whom the LSAT can show us what it is that you’re able to do, by all means, supply your LSAT. If you are someone who feels as though this does not show you as well, or you don’t have the tools or resources to be able to prepare as well as you’d like, but you have other things to show, then it will be optional.” 

We’re working through this right now. This is a tough one. People have very different views on this. This is the first time there’s been any crack in the foundation of the ABA, ever. I think this comes on the heels of undergrads being test-optional in some schools. 

In the end, I think the ABA is going to say each school can decide what they want to do. I’m not saying Georgetown is automatically going to be test-optional. I don’t know that. But right now, if I had to lean one way, that’s the way I’d lean.

How can one write a diversity statement if one comes from a well-represented group in the applicant pool? [19:25]

Well, first of all, no one has to do it. It’s not required. We encourage people to share with us what they want to. It’s part of the overall mindset we have, and that is we want to know everything about you. I don’t want to just know your GPA and your LSAT. I want to know everything about you. Diversity comes in all different shapes and sizes. Of course, there’s ethnicity, and we want to know about that for sure if the applicant wants to write about that. But there are other aspects about applicants that make them different. People aren’t cookie-cutter anymore. That just doesn’t exist. What is it about you that’s a little different that you want to talk about? It may be that you covered that in your personal statement. It may be that a recommender is going to cover it and that you really don’t have much to say. 

No one, and I can’t say this clearly enough, no one is penalized for not submitting a diversity statement. It never counts against anybody. You’re right, a lot of people have gone through life, and there’s just nothing of that variety to share with us in that respect. Great. That’s fine. We’ll look at all the other aspects of it. The idea of encouraging this is to encourage the uniqueness of the individual. What is there about you? That’s what we want to know. 

Do you have a recommendation for how long the diversity statement should be or do you like to just leave it open? [22:42]

Both. I like to leave it open. And my recommendation would be no more than two pages, but generally, one page could do it. Most diversity statements are one page, but again, it’s so tied with the other parts of the application that you are submitting. It’s hard to give one standard answer to that. But I would say, in general, no more than two pages. 

I just had one of these info sessions yesterday, and what I say to students is, “You can submit whatever you want. You’re paying a lot of money to apply. Do it any way you want. But my suggestion is to send us the gold. Send us the really important stuff.”

I’m sure there are lots of other aspects about you, but when somebody is reading 11,000, it can come across as just a little bit lazy when your application is basically everything about you and I have to sort out what I want out of it. Part of the sorting out is on the applicants. If it’s not so important, you run the risk of diluting what will be the most important piece. That’s the last thing you want to do.

Do you like to know why students want to go to Georgetown or why they want to go into law? [24:33]

Those are two different questions.

Let’s do the Georgetown thing first. Plenty of schools ask why their school specifically. We do not ask it because if we did, everybody would answer it because we asked it. I say this to applicants all the time, but if an applicant would like to share with us why they chose Georgetown and why it’s the place they want to go, that wouldn’t be the worst idea. It’s not required. But when I’m reading a file, if some applicant is making a convincing case and has thought about this and thought about the connection to Georgetown, will that have a little bit of a plus? You bet. But you don’t have to do it. It’s not required. But if you do, and it’s well thought out, it wouldn’t be the worst idea.

On why law, our essay is wide open. You can write about whatever you want. Generally, 80% of these essays get to that. The whole thing may not be about that, but they get to that. I think that’s a nice idea and something I’d want to know. But I’d rather not say it’s a must. If there’s something we need applicants to let us know, we ask. If we didn’t ask, we don’t need to know. It doesn’t mean we wouldn’t like to know, but it just means we don’t need to know.

For the personal statement, the thing’s got to be about you. The subject’s wide open. If you want to talk about your grandfather or your son or a trip or an internship or the marching band or the lead you had in the musical, it’s all great if that’s important to you. Bring it on. But I better be learning about you. Not learning about your grandfather, not learning about Mount Kilimanjaro and not learning about the tuba section. None of those things are applying to law school. You are. So what I say to people all the time is when you’re done with your first draft, give it to somebody who knows you well, have them read it, and ask them this question: “If you’d never met me before, do you know me a little better now?” If the answer to that is yes, you’re good. If the answer is no, then you’re not so good. Go back and do it again.

Read sample successful law school application essays >>

Is full-time work experience nice to have or really important to the admissions committee at Georgetown? [27:31]

Nice to have. It depends on what you’re doing. It happens, but what I really don’t want to happen is somebody taking a job or internship they really don’t want because they think it’ll help them get into law school. This may be the parent in me, but you need to do what you are happiest doing. Do I think that law students are more successful if they’ve been out in the world for one, two, or three years? Yeah, I do. But that doesn’t go for all law students. All things being equal, if you want to take some time off, do it. If you’re ready to go to law school, then don’t do it.

I would strongly urge, if you’re in between, to take some time off. A year is fine, but we want students who want to be here. We want students who are ready for law school. It’s not a requirement, for goodness sake, but we find that if you’ve taken a little bit of time off – you’ve paid rent, you’ve been out in the world, you’ve thought about this – that’s the better way to do it.

It’s not the only way to do it for everybody. We have plenty of successful, lovely, highly-qualified applicants who come straight out of college, but that’s been a big change. When I began all those years ago, I would say 25% of our entering class had taken a year or more off and 75% was coming right out of college. In 2022, those numbers are almost exactly reversed. Almost exactly 25% are right out of college and 75% are out in the work world.

Would you prefer applicants who had some exposure to law either by working in a law office or a legal clinic? [30:05]

Yes. For some people, sure. I know this is wordplay, but again, I would differentiate between preferring. Sure, all things being equal, it’s better to have exposure than not, but that’s a very different statement than saying it will cost you or hurt you if you don’t have it. I don’t feel that way at all. If you’re a student and you’re 21 or 22 and you’re going to get a chance to travel the world, that ain’t coming around every year. Is that a great experience to do? Sure. There are ways of talking about this. There are ways of making you more ready for school. It depends on the individual. But for that answer, go travel the world. For the person who maybe has two equally exciting opportunities come up and one is in law, then the tie goes to law. But I would not force that into my life if something else were more appealing at this stage. Go do that and when you’re ready, come apply, and we’ll be happy to take a look at you.

You could just ask for a test score and GPA, if that was the only thing you were considering, but clearly, Georgetown Law considers other factors. What are you hoping to see in other elements of the application? [31:37]

It’s not what I’m hoping to see, it’s who I’m hoping to see. I know I keep coming back to this, but I do because it’s so true, and it’s me getting to know you. Part of getting to know you is how you will fit into this community . Are you ready for this? Do you really want to do this? Have you thought about this? All of that plays into this. I’ve done this enough so that when I read all of these aspects to every applicant, I get a sense of things. Somebody asked me the other day if we use algorithms. I said, “The only algorithms I use are my fingertips.” I swear to goodness, that’s it. There are no formulas in this. As you said, if all I cared about was GPA and LSAT, I could take six months off. I’m not even sure you’d need a person to do that, you have machines that can do that.

It’s not so much what I’m looking to see as I’m trying to get an x-ray of you. Who you are, what makes you tick, and how are you going to fit in here. There’s one other element to our process that Georgetown does and that is the interview. Interviews matter to us. It’s all part of the same theme you’ve heard me talk about ad nauseam here. We have a traditional alumni interview program where we have alums in Providence, Buffalo, San Diego, and Santa Fe.

It used to be in person if you lived in that area, but with Zoom, now everybody lives in the same area. We’ve sifted through the alums and an alum gets to meet our applicants. A lot of law schools do that. Almost all undergraduate schools do that. 

What we do is the person who wants to know most about you is me. The one you’re talking to right now, me. So at Georgetown, over the last eight years or so, we have grown and grown to where I’m meeting groups of students. I meet applicants in groups. We do group interviews and by we, I mean me. I’ll meet six or seven people at a time on Zoom and spend an hour with them. I’m not going to say any more than that, but we spend an hour with them.

We’ve built it up now so that last year I met almost 4,000 applicants, myself on screens like this. It is enormously helpful to me. It helps with the x-ray. I can really get to know you. It’s wonderful. Because of Zoom, I’ve been able to travel the world and not leave my office. It’s been grand. I’m talking to people in 50 states. Now, we should be clear on this. Not everybody I interview gets in. But I will tell you that last year I met 90% of the entering class myself in sessions like this.

Are Georgetown interviews by invitation only? [35:19]

Yes. We’ll find you.

But you don’t have to interview to be admitted? [35:23]

That’s correct. People get in without being interviewed but there’s a certain process that goes through when I read a file that first time, and I say to myself, “I’d like to meet her. I’d like to meet him.” When we do, we invite them to interview. I’m doing this for three or four hours a day for five months straight. This stuff matters. Nobody in their right mind does this unless it has an impact on the admissions process.

Who are you? Let me get to know you. Will you collaborate? Can you work together? That’s why I love doing groups. Individuals are interesting, but the group stuff enables me to watch people work together. It’s something I just have a sense of now since I’ve done so many of these. It’s a fun part of the process. Our first one starts next week. 

How do you view applications from students who have had an academic infraction or perhaps even a criminal record? [36:37]

It all depends on the individual situation. If it’s academic misconduct or an honor code violation, that’s a tough one. But for plenty of people, that happened 10 years ago. There are three legs to this stool: what was the violation, how do you talk about it, and how does your school talk about it? I’m not talking about you getting caught smoking dope on campus or parking where you shouldn’t have parked. Who cares?

But there are some more serious situations, and if that’s you, you’ve got to go talk to somebody at your undergraduate institution who will vouch for you and will give context and say that it’s not who you are anymore. Don’t think we won’t pick up on it. We pick up on everything. I want to hear what you have to say about it. I want to hear what somebody from your school has to say about it. 

The same thing goes for criminal violations. Obviously, there are different degrees of this, and it’s not a good thing to have a record for goodness sake, but there are different aspects to this. It’s on the applicant to supply that context, obviously in the way that’s most favorable to the applicant, but that’s on her or him. That’s not on me.

I don’t want to hear excuses. Again, maybe that’s the parent in me. Where are you now? What steps have you taken? I want to hear from somebody besides you who can talk about this and can put it in context. It doesn’t wash it away. It’s part of who you are and what you’ve done, but there are a million parts of who you are and what you’ve done. This is one of them. It’s big, but if you can explain it away, it’s not an automatic, anything.

Does Georgetown Law consider update letters from applicants who have something significant to tell you after they submit their application before hearing back from you or from wait-listed applicants? [38:59]

Yes and yes, capital letters, exclamation points. You bet. Life changes. Stay in touch with us. I’ve got a terrific staff here and they’ll add it to your application. I’ll come back again and review it. Especially on the waitlist.

What is a common mistake you see applicants making during the application process? [39:37]

Not working hard enough at it. By that, I mean an essay that feels very cookie-cutter with no particular sense. I’ve taken this exam lots of times. I know the answers to this. If someone is not energetic in how they apply or they applied late or their essay is a little messy or it’s really long, I can tell in a heartbeat. That’s, I think, the biggest mistake. 

Another common one, but not as fatal as the first one, is keeping arm’s length in the application process. No matter how many times I say it, I want to get to know you well. People are wired differently and you don’t have to tell me every aspect of your life if you’re not comfortable. But to keep me at arm’s length, just for this particular Admissions Dean, doesn’t work so well with me.

What I say to people all the time is the two key words that every applicant should try to be at Georgetown specifically are open and authentic. Be open and be authentic. If you’re those two things, that puts you and will put me in the right frame of mind. I’m trying to get to know you. If you won’t let me get to know you and you want to keep at arm’s length, I’m not saying you won’t get in, but I’m a little less likely to say this is someone we really want at Georgetown. Remember, every applicant about whom we say what I just said, “This is somebody we really want at Georgetown,” will get in. Full stop. That’s it. You get in.

I can’t take everybody I really want at Georgetown, but the ones who give it the extra effort, they were fabulous at the interview, their essay was wonderful, they come across as someone we would love having here, they’re going to get in. But you, the applicants, have to make that case. Have at it, I’m open. Numbers aren’t going to automatically qualify you or disqualify you. 

I say to students all the time the way to think of this is that your GPA and LSAT, assuming you take the LSAT, set the height of the bar you have to jump over. I read all the other stuff about you, and depending on how high that bar is, that’s how good the other stuff has to be.

If you look at it that way, that’s exactly how we do it. Applicants should always remember that everybody gets to jump over the bar. There are no cutoffs. Everybody gets a shot. It’s harder if the bar’s higher up but everybody gets a shot and everybody has to jump. You don’t just get to walk around and not have to get up and over the bar. You need to persuade us too. We have too many great applicants at this law school for you just to rely on your numbers.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [43:13]

You did really well. You asked just about everything I would want you to ask me. 

I think the last thing I would share is what hurts an applicant. I’d give you two words for that: laziness and arrogance. Don’t be either of those two things. You can study law somewhere else. I got too many applicants who are wonderful and fabulous and who are sitting on a waitlist or who couldn’t quite make it in five years ago they could have, but it’s different now. If you think you’re going to waltz right in, there’s no waltzing at this law school. Maybe you can waltz when you get in and celebrate with the waltz, but you’re not waltzing in. Don’t act like you are. So it’s that arrogance part. Laziness too. Those are the two things I’d stay away from. That’s what can hurt you.

Where can listeners learn more about Georgetown Law? [44:51]

[email protected]

The one thing we didn’t cover, just one quick thing, is when to apply. That’s an element of this, and it plays a role in everything. We have rolling admissions. Most law schools do. It’s different than undergrad. Here at Georgetown, it’s rolling. That means the sooner you apply, the better your chances. People apply, applications get completed, maybe I interview or whatever, and we admit people. I’ll start admitting people in the middle of October. 

Think of it as a party. Cornblatt’s throwing a party and those Cornblatt parties are so great, you’d love to come. So if you ask for your invitation and the room is emptier, you are more likely to get a “yes” than as the room gets fuller and fuller and fuller. The first knock on the door to come to my party is October and November. The second knock on my door when it gets so hard is February. 

While the recommended deadline may be March 1, I would recommend for all students, if they can, let it be Thanksgiving. Plenty of people apply in January, December, and February. If you’re listening to this and if you’re ready to go, don’t wait around. Seats get filled up.

The last thing I would say is there are two different ways to apply to Georgetown Law School, early decision and regular decision. Regular decision is the typical way to apply and is 85% of our pool. 

But there are 10% to 15% for whom Georgetown is their first choice. If Dean Andy sends an email that begins with that delicious word, congratulations, they are in. I can hear them shrieking with joy from my house here in D.C. If that’s what you want, this is where you want to apply early decision. Does it help your chances? A little bit. 

I’m sure you’ve had this question a million times, but let me just speak for Georgetown. Early decision admits and regular decision admits are treated exactly the same way for financial aid. My honesty is on the line. I promise you, it won’t matter in terms of the financial aid award you get, whether you’re early or regular. I just wanted to add those two things.

To those of you who are listening to this, I look forward to reading your applications and hopefully welcoming you to law school 12 months from now. Who knows? Thanks so much for having me, Linda.

Related links:

• Georgetown Law Admissions
• Are You Ready for Law School? (Accepted’s Law School Admissions Quiz)
• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Law School Application Essays
• Accepted’s Law School Admissions Services

Related shows:

• ​​How to Get Into Duke Law
• How to Get Into UVA Law
• How to Get into USC Gould School of Law
• UCLA Law School: How to Get Accepted

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Georgetown University 2024-25 Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 10

Georgetown 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words; 1 half-page essay; 2 page-long essays

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Activity , Why, Diversity

All Georgetown University Applicants 

Prompt 1: please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words) .

This prompt may come first on the list, but we think you should save it for last! For the other essays on the Georgetown application, we ask you to dig deep and share personal stories that showcase talents and interests. Don’t dry the well by listing all of your (many!) skills and talents too soon. Every essay should reveal something new to admissions. So once you finish polishing your other pieces, ask yourself: What’s missing? Is there some critical puzzle piece that will help connect your other three essays? Have you been dying to get something off your chest that didn’t fit anywhere else? This essay could be the perfect outlet for you to showcase your more personal skills, interests, and quirks. If the rest of your essays describe your drive to work in international relations, perhaps your answer to this prompt could reveal a lighter side: your love of experimental cooking (and impressive knife skills!). Or maybe explain how learning a new language helped you learn how to whistle! While you should aim to highlight genuine skills that you have put effort into cultivating, you can also have a little bit of fun. This prompt is the most open-ended one on the application, so show admissions something they won’t find anywhere else on your application.

Prompt 2: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced, or approximately 300-400 words depending on font size) 

Next up is a fun twist on the classic Activity Essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that you care about. For starters, we’d give you basically the same advice as the prompt: focus on one of the activities “in which you have been most involved.” Although we usually urge students to write about experiences that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the Activity Essay is an exception since it specifically asks you to address an item on your resume. So, pick something with meat! When have you had the opportunity to take on a leadership role? How have four years of debate club shaped the way you communicate? Was it difficult coaching pee wee soccer as a freshman, and what motivated you to stick with it? Regardless of what you choose to write about, be sure to describe what it means to you.

Prompt 3: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (1 page, single-spaced) 

Though it seems straightforward, this may be one of the hardest prompts! (What do you mean, tell you about myself in my own words?) Don’t fret. You can treat this essay just like the Common App’s prompt #1 , which asks students to write about a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. (Even better: If you’ve already written an essay in response to the Common App’s first prompt, you can recycle that essay here since Georgetown has its own application platform!)

If you’re approaching this essay from scratch, take some time to brainstorm. What about your background, talents, or identity might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? Don’t worry about cramming every aspect of the wonder that is you into one essay; they will naturally reveal themselves along the way as you write. Whether you want to write about a facet of your identity that few people know about or a passion you’ve been dabbling in (and telling everyone about) for years, you can’t go wrong with authentic reflection and an engaging hook!

Georgetown University School-Specific Prompts 

Georgetown college of arts and sciences: founded in 1789, the georgetown college of arts & sciences is committed to the jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. describe your interest in studying in the college of arts & sciences. (applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.).

You can probably guess what we’re going to recommend here…wait for it…research! Georgetown wants to know not just what you want to study but why you want to study it at their school. The prompt makes specific reference to the school’s Jesuit history, focus on research, and “integrated education,” so start there. Are you looking forward to a college experience grounded in faith? Are you excited to tie your various interests together through different courses, activities, and clubs? Does the Core Curriculum speak to your desire to not only focus on your intended major, but also explore other fields? If you know what you want to major in, make sure you take extra care to reference specific courses, professors, clubs, or other research opportunities that excite you. The more specific details you can incorporate into your essay, the more sincere and personal it will feel (and be!). 

School of Nursing: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.

Well, this is about as straightforward as prompts get! Our advice is much the same as it is for students applying to the School of Health (see below). Set yourself apart from other applicants by not only discussing the factors that led you to pursuing a career in nursing, but also tying those experiences to your larger goals for the future. Take note of the keywords in the prompt’s first sentence and try to connect them to your story. Are you attracted to Georgetown’s focus on ethics because you come from a family of medical professionals? Were you drawn to the profession due to an empathetic nurse who supported your family during your little sister’s leukemia treatments? How do you hope to embody these characteristics in your future career? If there are elements of a Georgetown education that will support your particular interest or connect to your past experiences in some way, you should dig into that in your response, while also revealing new information to admissions about your character, motivations, and aspirations.

School of Health: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.

If we know anything about applying to medical programs, it is this: everyone wants to help people, everyone wants to make the world a better place, and everyone wants to make a meaningful contribution. Few fields lend themselves to service-oriented clichés and platitudes as readily as medicine does, so to safely navigate the minefield of hackneyed generalizations, start with something personal! What’s one eye-opening experience that made you believe healthcare could be your calling? Perhaps it was a single moment, like accidental eye contact with a concerned mother in the ER. Or maybe it was something more long-term, such as navigating your school in a wheelchair after knee surgery and realizing you want to improve patient outcomes by researching physical therapies. Whatever the case, use your personal story as the backdrop for your argument. What did you learn? What problems do you hope to tackle? What change do you hope to help create? As we said, it’s not enough to just want these things; your job is to show admissions why medicine interests you personally. Once you’ve accomplished that, be sure to address the role Georgetown will play in your plan for the future. In other words, why do you want to study healthcare at Georgetown in particular? Align your response to the keywords in the prompt’s first sentence to show that Georgetown is the right school for you. Do they have a research lab that’s at the forefront of innovation? Are you eager to engage with local and global communities by volunteering in DC and studying abroad? How will Georgetown’s interdisciplinary education support your goals as a Human Science major? A wise applicant will do some research so they can infuse their response with specific details that demonstrate meticulousness and drive.

Walsh School of Foreign Service: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.

The Walsh School of Foreign Service wants to know what fuels your fire. What is driving you to dedicate your undergraduate studies (and maybe even your life!) to a path of service? Maybe you are incredibly passionate about combating climate change before it’s too late. What do you hope to achieve and how? Perhaps you’re following in the footsteps of a trailblazer you look up to—how do you hope to continue fighting the good fight in their honor? If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself: What kind of mark would you like to leave on the world? How do you think you can positively contribute to a cause that is important to you? If you had the power to make a lasting impact in any area at all, what would it be? Next, describe how Georgetown’s specific program will help you achieve these goals. What courses, professors, study abroad experiences, clubs, or activities make Georgetown’s program stand out? The prompt makes reference to “generations of leaders,” so do some research to see if there are any alumni in whose footsteps you hope to follow. Finally, while building the personal connection is key, you’ll also want to leave yourself some space to spell out at least a few steps you might take to address your global issue of choice.

McDonough School of Business: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.

If you think we’ve never seen an essay with the line, “I love money,” you would be wrong. Spoiler: this does not make a great first impression. Studying business is about so much more than dollars and cents, and this prompt offers a few other aspects of business you’ll learn about in this program, including “global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives.” In order to get some perspective, we’d recommend doing your homework. Like any classic Why Essay, the best answers are personal and specific, so go beyond your general interest in business and try to figure out specifically why Georgetown could be the right fit for you. Is it the location? The professors? The travel opportunities? Allow yourself to follow every lead and fall down every rabbit hole as you root through the program website. Your essay should paint a picture of the kind of student you will be at Georgetown, from the classes you’ll take to the activities you’ll pursue. How will this education prepare you for your dream career?

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Georgetown Law Law School Application Essays

These Georgetown Law college application essays were written by students accepted at Georgetown Law. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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College Application Essays accepted by Georgetown Law

Diversity lessons laura stafford, georgetown law.

In the past, whenever I have been confronted with a question on an application asking about “contributions of your cultural or ethnic background”, I have always thought that such essay prompts were not written for me. Such topics, I facilely...

South Dakota's Measure 11: Fundamentally Constitutional Daniel Dolgicer

In Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, this Court struck down a Texas law that rendered it illegal for a woman to abort a pregnancy unless her life was in danger. This Court granted complete freedom of choice to the woman in her first trimester of...

Her Birthday Anonymous

Our ridiculous expedition was scheduled to conclude with a birthday celebration, a climax that my girlfriend anticipated and expected to savor. “Won’t it be wonderful,” she would muse, “that the trip will conclude the day after my birthday in...

The Third Tunnel Yoon K Choi

Recently, I found myself seventy-two meters underground, in a North Korean invasion tunnel discovered not fifty kilometers from Seoul. The tunnel is wide enough for ten thousand armed soldiers to pass through in an hour, but not so high that...

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4 Great Georgetown Essay Examples

What’s covered:, essay example 1 – special talents, essay example 2 – personal statement, essay example 3 – the meaning of being educated, essay example 4 – extracurricular activity, where to get feedback on your georgetown essays .

Georgetown is a prestigious university located right outside of Washington D.C. that is known for its great public policy and international relations programs. With so many eager applicants wanting to attend this highly-selective school, you need to have strong essays to stand out from the crowd. In this post, we’ll share real essays students have submitted to Georgetown, and share what they did well and how they could be made even better (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Georgetown essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: Please indicate any special talents or skills you possess. You should write in either paragraph or bulleted-list format. (200-250 words)

Bending down, I pluck a four-leaf clover from a sea of genetically identical Trifolium. After capturing this anomaly on film, I press it, adding it to my collection. Ever since I first discovered four-leaf clovers, I honed my observational skills until I could find them with ease. Now, I am a master of small details and the proud owner of 22 four-leaf clovers. 

My memory for special occasions is unrivaled. Within my brain, I categorize and store dates: birthdays, anniversaries, check-ins, etc. I take pride in remembering my friends’ and family’s important days and being there to celebrate or support, listen or laugh, or simply spend time with them. Attentiveness and thoughtfulness are at the foundation of who I am. 

When I saw the unicycle under the tree, I was elated yet apprehensive. All-day on Christmas, I practiced riding it: I waggled my arms as I sought my balance, caught myself each time I fell, and continued to stand up to try again. Through perseverance and determination, I eventually found my balance, and five months later, I could easily ride alongside my sister’s scooter through the park. 

My party trick is walking on my hands. With a beet-red face and dirty palms, I carefully fall out of my handstand and back into an upright position. I always giggle when I do so, observing the shocked, entertained faces of the people around me. My unusual talent facilitates joy and laughter, and inevitably, connection.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay is successful because of how random it is! When a prompt asks for a special talent or skill, many people might be tempted to write about some extracurricular they excel at or a characteristic they have like leadership or perseverance, but this student chose to share a collection of unrelated fun facts about themselves. We would never know about their collection of four-leaf clovers or how they walk on their hands from the rest of the application. This essay really takes advantage of the prompt to humanize the applicant and share the little details that make them unique.

Another thing this essay does well is combining the suggested structures. The disjointed paragraphs describing a new talent give the effect of a bulleted list, but each skill is contextualized in its own paragraph. They could have just written “ I can ride the unicycle” , but instead we learned about this student’s perseverance through their explanation of riding a unicycle.

Even if they chose to only write about one special talent, this student does a great job of drawing the reader into the moment. We are there, crouching down and looking into the sea of green clovers. We are there, watching them struggle to balance on the unicycle. We are there, hearing them giggle as they dust off their hands and stand rightside up. The inclusion of sensory details like these really brings the reader into the story, making it so much more enjoyable to read.

What Could Be Improved

Since each paragraph is completely unrelated to the others, this essay could benefit from a few transitions to make it clear there’s a jump from one skill to another. If the student wanted to keep the list-like feel, they could start each paragraph with a quick recap and then jump into the rest of the paragraph. For example, the first paragraph would start like “ An eye of four-leaf clovers.” , and then go into the paragraph. 

Prompt: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (Approximately 1 page, single-spaced)

Faded dye. Loose threads. Peeling rank stripes. 

On the surface, my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belts are a display of my martial arts progression. But in each worn belt there are stories of sweat and tears, triumph and loss, challenges and growth. Like the changing colors of a seasonal rank promotion, I myself have changed, adopting new skills with each belt added to my collection. These scraps of fabric are more than my prized possessions; they’re an album of my life’s most defining moments. 

Crisp white and too small, my first belt was worn by a girl who was eager to learn self-defense, but was anxious to try something new. Enraptured, I’d watch higher ranked students grapple, excitedly envisioning myself performing the same graceful Kosoto-gari throws and powerful rear-naked choke holds that I saw on the mats. However, expectations can be a harsh antithesis to reality: any visions of my future martial arts prowess crumbled upon encountering dive roll drills. 

Deceived by its simple, somersault-like appearance, I vaulted my crouched body with gusto, only to flop onto my side like an exhausted cat. No problem. I positioned myself for another attempt. The same “floppy-cat” predicament ensued. Again! This time I rolled into my teammate. Frustrated, I began to ask my coach for pointers, but stopped upon realizing I was holding up the drill line. Over and over, each effort yielded the same undesirable results. Shame coursed through my veins as I returned to the back of the line. 

Now, when I watched my classmates spar, I looked on with envy; it seemed like they were speeding towards a rank promotion while I was drowning in my own incompetence, marked to forever remain a white belt. This dismal attitude followed me until I met my training partner, Ann. She was a higher-ranked teammate and seasoned athlete, so I was flustered by the thought of her seeing me struggle. But when it came time to practice our dive rolls, I was surprised to see her fumble like me. Unlike me, Ann wasn’t one to struggle on her own: she shot her hand into the air, immediately getting our coach’s attention. With a patient smile, he walked us through the technique, occasionally allowing Ann to stop and check that I understood; within minutes, both of us could perform solid dive rolls. While this moment brought a surge of pride, it also opened my eyes to my biggest shortcoming – lacking the courage to advocate for my needs. 

Realizing this problem, I set on the path to correcting my mistakes. Whenever I struggled with a move, I made an effort to consult my coaches and teammates, working to build both my skills and rapport. Forging bonds with my teammates also allowed me to adopt moves from their grappling style, sparking an appreciation for the lessons learned from each training partner. With each week that went by, my progress became more noticeable. Where there were previously gaps in my technique and hesitation in my movements, I could now see my skills improving and my desire to speak up develop. No longer was my white belt crisp and new; it was now faded and grayish, hiding memories of difficult, yet rewarding matches in its stitching.

Ultimately, my biggest mistake was struggling by myself. While jiu jitsu is an individual sport, it’s not an isolated one. Ann, my coaches, and my teammates were more than my competitors; they were my best learning resources and closest supporters. 

Since wearing my first belt, I’ve learned to change my despairing attitude to one of openness and determination. Challenges will continue to come my way, whether they come in the form of a jiu jitsu opponent or a grueling exam. Only I can put in the work to achieve my desired outcomes, but I’ve come to see that I don’t have to face my difficulties alone. Now, I look to the future with anticipation for the next obstacle to overcome. Who knows? Perhaps a black belt awaits.

For a prompt that asked to get to know the applicant better, this is an amazing essay. We learn so much about this student from her response. We know one of her main passions is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we get to see her biggest weakness stand in the way of her success and then watch as she overcomes that, and we learn about how she approaches challenges both on and off the mat. 

How is this essay able to convey so much information while still being interesting to read? The author does an excellent job of placing us in the moment by showing us what is occurring. Right from the beginning, we see a little girl with a brand-new belt eagerly watching tumbles and choke holds. Then, rather than just telling us she struggled with dive rolls, she describes the process in detail and compares her failures to a “floppy-cat”. These depictions help bring the reader into the story and make it so much easier to envision what she went through. She also brings us into her mind, telling us about the shame and envy she felt when she originally struggled and how she now understands the importance of getting help.

Also notice how the essay doesn’t come to an end once she has her “aha” moment and her mindset towards approaching challenges shifts. She takes two paragraphs to bring us down from the climax of the essay and continues to show us how she took time to grow once she started asking for help. We aren’t led to believe she immediately became a jiu jitsu master after her one experience, which is a common mistake students make in their essays. It took months, if not years, for her to get to where she is now, so although her mindset shifted when she was younger, we get to see how her new perspective influenced her after that one example.   

One way this essay could be made even greater is by including an internal monologue to show us her emotions. This student already did an excellent job of showing us what happened externally, but when it comes to her feelings and thoughts at the moment, she tells us about them. 

Instead of telling us she was frustrated when she kept messing up the dive rolls, she could have written something like this: “With every failed attempt a little voice in my head nagged at me over and over. You’re never going to get it. You’re terrible at this. Stop holding up the line, it’s not going to work. ” These lines convey so much more emotion than just telling us she was frustrated. It helps us understand how she thinks, as well as make it more relatable because everyone knows what it’s like to feel hopeless and annoyed at yourself when you can’t do something correctly.

Incorporating more of her internal monologue would further elevate this essay which already does a good job of showing us what happened.

Peering out at my 7-year-old constituents, I scratch the stick-on beard around my chin and adjust my top hat. “Ten score and three years ago,” I begin, “Abraham Lincoln was born.”

Even as a child, my fascination with politics extended beyond schoolwork. From memorizing the names of politicians to voluntarily delivering presentations on presidents to my second-grade class, I immersed myself in studying government. But education extends beyond mere memorization; it allows people to directly engage with a diverse array of ideas and perspectives to achieve a deeper understanding of the human experience, and more broadly, the world. To be educated is not a singular state of being; rather, education is a continuous, evolving process. Education empowers individuals with the knowledge and the experience to catalyze societal change. The College of Arts & Sciences will marry instruction in political theory with opportunities for community engagement, which, as an aspiring constitutional lawyer, will enable me to break systemic barriers to civic involvement. 

At Georgetown, I am eager to major in Government, minoring in Justice and Peace Studies, to investigate the role of governing institutions in providing democratic access for underrepresented populations. Georgetown’s wealth of course offerings will allow me to simultaneously receive formal classroom instruction and wield this knowledge to serve underserved communities. Through courses like JUPS 280 “Gender, Immigration, & Social Justice,” I will deepen my understanding of disparities in democratic participation by exploring the intersectionality of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Combining my passions for academia and volunteerism, I am also eager to engage in CBL courses like UNXD 130 “Social Action” to further my inquiry into the mechanisms driving successful social movements, on both local and global scales. Georgetown’s intimate classroom environment will expose me to the different perspectives of contemporary political theory and foster critical thought about world issues, including civic disengagement. 

Furthermore, pursuing undergraduate research will allow me to continue exploring the limited democratic participation of marginalized communities to understand the mechanisms that inhibit political engagement. Under Professor Nadia Brown, I will concentrate my research on possible legislation to break the barriers to civic engagement for African American women. Through the Royden B. Davis Fellowship, I will apply my research to implement sustainable programs in the D.C. metropolitan area to bridge disparities in voter participation among different racial groups. Georgetown’s array of research opportunities will enable me to connect with a community of diverse-minded changemakers, expanding my exposure to various dimensions of the human condition. Collaborating with my peers through research will not only kindle my insatiable curiosity, but also cultivate an analytical perspective when examining democratic institutions. 

Immersing myself in the college’s mission for cura personalis and social justice will allow me to employ my research and study of the theory of social action in the Georgetown community. Through the D.C. Schools project, for example, I will work to combat the language barrier by providing literacy services to elementary school students in D.C. Or, partaking in multidimensional dialogue with the passionate individuals of Educating Residents about Social Equality (ERASE) will enable me to interact with a community of people varied in culture, passion, and thought. I am aware of my limited perspective; engaging with Georgetown’s diverse student body will allow me to grow cognizant of the wide range of lived human experiences.

The College of Arts and Sciences’ dedication to uniting traditional classroom experience with experiential learning will enable me to venture into the world with the tools and mindset to spur democratic reform and cultivate a more accessible democracy for all individuals. As a Hoya, I will employ my global curiosity and inclusive nature to bolster civic engagement for underrepresented populations, both on campus and beyond. Georgetown will be a haven for my pursuits as a student and an activist, embodying engagement with diverse individuals and ideas to generate social reform.

This prompt is very specific. It’s not asking you to “describe a time” or “reflect on an instance.” It is concrete: admissions officers want answers. When they finish your essay, they should be able to say both:

• what it means to you to be educated, and
• how Georgetown will help you become educated.

This student does a great job of answering these questions, and, more specifically, of answering these questions at the right point in their essay . Great points can be difficult to understand if they’re presented in a disorganized way, but this essay’s strong structure ensures the writer’s ideas come across clearly.

First, they provide readers with a goofy image from their childhood, which immediately makes us interested in their story. But they wisely don’t spend too much time on the anecdote, and instead transition to explicitly answering the prompt’s first question: 

“To be educated is not a singular state of being; rather, education is a continuous, evolving process. Education empowers individuals with the knowledge and the experience to catalyze societal change.” 

The student then dives straight into a discussion of the specific resources at Georgetown that will immerse them in this “continuous, evolving process,” including a minor, courses, a professor, and a variety of extracurriculars. 

Seeing as the second half of this prompt is essentially a “Why This College?” prompt, this specificity is crucial, as it shows admissions officers that the student has spent real time thinking about how they would contribute to their school, and they aren’t just applying for superficial reasons related to location or prestige.

What Could Be Improved 

Most of the areas of improvement for this essay involve style and flow. For example, the student uses very long sentences throughout this essay. While those sentences are grammatically sound, constantly having to wade through all those words makes for a less enjoyable reading experience. 

Relatedly, one of the strange realities of college essays is that, while you spend many hours writing and revising your essays, admissions officers have no choice but to read them extremely quickly, because they have so many to get through. That means you want your points to be as easy to digest as possible, and long sentences force your reader to expend more energy tying various threads together.

For example, take the sentence:

“Combining my passions for academia and volunteerism, I am also eager to engage in CBL courses like UNXD 130 ‘Social Action’ to further my inquiry into the mechanisms driving successful social movements, on both local and global scales.”

This sentence goes from two of the student’s passions, to a course at Georgetown, to one of their academic goals. All this jumping around means two things. First, the points don’t get much individual attention, which means the student’s personality gets a little lost. And second, the student needs to spend extra words tying distinct ideas together. A more productive use of words might look something like:

“Ever since I did my first beach cleanup with my dad in 2010, I have had a passion for volunteerism. That project, and most of the others I’ve been involved in over the years, have been geared towards improving my local community. While rewarding, I feel ready to learn more about how to be an activist on a broader scale, through CBL courses like UNXD 130 ‘Social Action.’”

The same point about length applies to paragraphs, as longer paragraphs can be more difficult to follow, and thus your reader is more likely to get lost. If you keep the focus of each paragraph narrow (e.g., each paragraph is about a different value, a different childhood experience, or a different issue within ‘voting rights’), your reader can move through your ideas more efficiently.

For example, at the point in the essay where the “Combining my passions” sentence appears, the writer is pivoting from talking about their interest in government to their interest in activism. Regardless of whether their original sentence or our revised one is used, the student’s progression of ideas would be easier to follow if there was a paragraph break just before, as each paragraph would then be focused on just one thing.

Finally, to expand on a point made above about the student’s personality getting lost at points, there are numerous places in this essay where the student’s writing feels stilted and brochure-like. Having a strong personal voice in your college essays is crucial, as that’s a big way admissions officers can become familiar with your personality. After all, it is you who they are considering admitting to their school. By reciting facts from the course catalog, you aren’t telling them anything they don’t already know.

If you’re worried your essay might not be personal enough, read each sentence, then ask yourself “Why is this point important to me?” Then, try to incorporate that answer into your writing, if it’s not already there.

For example, in this essay, the student writes the following sentences about voting access:

• “I am eager to major in Government, minoring in Justice and Peace Studies, to investigate the role of governing institutions in providing democratic access for underrepresented populations.”
• “Through courses like JUPS 280 ‘Gender, Immigration, & Social Justice,” I will deepen my understanding of disparities in democratic participation by exploring the intersectionality of race, gender, and socioeconomic status.”
• “Through the Royden B. Davis Fellowship, I will apply my research to implement sustainable programs in the D.C. metropolitan area to bridge disparities in voter participation among different racial groups.”

While they make it clear that voting access is important to them, they do not make it personal. They do not tell us why it is important to them, and thus this student doesn’t distinguish themselves from any other applicant who’s passionate about voting access. To fix this problem, the student could write:

“As a young history buff, I was excited to vote from the second I learned what voting was. I imagined the big booths, volunteers with American flag paraphernalia, and ‘I Voted’ stickers left and right. When I got to the voting center, however, I was greeted by a line down the block of women with crying babies, kids late for school complaining about the wait, and disabled individuals resting on curbs. It was devastating to see our communities struggling so hard for their basic rights. Through educating our generation, I think things will change in the future. I am excited to take courses like JUPS ‘Gender, Immigration, & Social Justice’ so that I can understand how disparities in democratic participation come to be and can be better equipped to address them in the future.”

“The bedrock of sustainable democracy is widespread participation,” my voice echoes throughout the room. “By lowering the age to vote, we ensure the voices of American youth are heard in our government.”

Joining my school’s speech and debate program was a natural extension of my passion for global affairs. Engaging in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, I was exposed to the breadth of issues facing humanity, from the immorality of lethal autonomous weapons to the barriers to youth civic engagement. By immersing myself in these global questions, public speaking sustains my unrelenting curiosity about the mutli-dimensional human experience.

Beyond my exposure to these global issues, speech and debate sparked conversation with a passionate group of diverse-minded individuals. From spending hours analyzing each other’s speeches to cheering our teammates on in the adrenaline rush of competition, we bonded over our shared zest for speaking. Heated discussions often emerged: “If young people aren’t mature, why are they allowed to drive or get a job?” one teammate asks; “Yet they would still vote for Kanye for president,” another chimes in. I thrived in our disagreement, paving the way for collaboration and growth.

Over the past four years, I’ve grown up with this team. Sifting through photos, my coach finds one of me at my first competition, dressed in a tiny gray blazer and a maroon button-down. My forehead was plastered with wrinkles, eyes paralyzed with fear. In truth, speech and debate invigorated me unlike anything else. In this environment, my voice is imbued with a mixture of passion, determination, and excitement. Discussing these global issues, public speaking is a platform for my emotions, thoughts, and passions.    

Now, as Captain, I watch as ten freshmen note my every hand gesture and vocal inflection. I am eager to witness their eyes twinkle as they speak, eloquently and effortlessly.

This “Extracurricular Essay” has an outstanding structure. It is extremely easy to follow, as each paragraph has a clear, singular focus. First, we learn how speech and debate expanded this student’s awareness of global issues. Then we learn how this activity taught them that disagreement is helpful for growth. Finally, we learn how it helped them come into themself socially. Each paragraph helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the student, to create a beautiful arc where we are rooting for the student, even though we already know they succeeded.

Additionally, the student uses a conversational yet reflective voice that draws readers in and makes us feel like we’re an old friend of theirs, instead of a total stranger. This connection is achieved through, to give one example, the “heated discussions” about humorous topics they had with their speech and debate teammates. 

Another place where we feel close to the writer is in their description of the photo from their first competition. Their honest, open reflection on how they felt in that moment simultaneously shows humility and how far they’ve come since. That balance, which is really the core of strong college essays, is incredibly difficult to strike, and here this student does so masterfully.

Lastly, the student does a flawless job of subtly pointing out their leadership experience in the last paragraph. They don’t appear to be boasting, but rather position themself as caring about the younger students and invested in the future of this club which has meant so much to them, qualities which admissions officers value highly.

This essay is clear, concise, and compelling, and thus doesn’t have much room for improvement. That said, we all get writer’s block sometimes, or struggle to execute an idea in the way we envisioned. So, with any example essay, it can be useful to think about alternative approaches someone could take. 

Specifically, if you struggle with structure, you might want to approach this kind of extracurricular essay prompt with a narrow, specific focus in mind, rather than covering awareness of global issues, the development of a particular skill, and your own personal growth in the same essay, as this student does. For example, you might choose to highlight just one of the following things:

• Leadership experience
• Interpersonal connections
• Self-growth
• Academic exploration

It is always better to be more focused than less when writing your college essays. If you are worried that you do not have the finesse to discuss a broad range of ideas in a short amount of space, opt to discuss one idea in a deep and meaningful way.

Do you want feedback on your Georgetown essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Mueller Hints at a National-Security Nightmare

The missing piece of the report is a counterintelligence investigation that should set off alarm bells about our democracy and security.

By Joshua A. Geltzer and Ryan Goodman

Mr. Geltzer is the executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law. Mr. Goodman is editor in chief of the blog Just Security.

The Mueller report isn’t actually close to a full account of the investigation by the special counsel, Robert Mueller. That’s not just because of the redactions. When he was hired, Mr. Mueller inherited supervision of an F.B.I. counterintelligence investigation. That is the missing piece of the Mueller report.

President Trump may claim “exoneration” on a narrowly defined criminal coordination charge. But a counterintelligence investigation can yield something even more important: an intelligence assessment of how likely it is that someone — in this case, the president — is acting, wittingly or unwittingly, under the influence of or in collaboration with a foreign power. Was Donald Trump a knowing or unknowing Russian asset, used in some capacity to undermine our democracy and national security?

The public Mueller report alone provides enough evidence to worry that America’s own national security interests may not be guiding American foreign policy.

The counterintelligence investigation is not necessarily complete, but from the glimpses we see in the Mueller report, it should set off very serious national security alarm bells.

An intelligence assessment makes two determinations: a conclusion about the type of influence a foreign power may have over an individual and the degree of confidence in that conclusion. For example, when Mr. Trump boasted to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in the Oval Office that he had fired the F.B.I. director, it raised only the possibility — a “circumstantial inference,” as it’s called in counterintelligence — that the president was wittingly working on behalf of the Russians.

This apparent desire to please these officials indicates a high level of Russian influence and, in the context of other actions that pleased Mr. Putin, like his sudden decision to withdraw American troops from Syria — could support a modest to high level of confidence in that conclusion.

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Georgetown Law

Legal profession/professional responsibility, recently offered courses that satisfy the professional responsibility requirement.

American Legal Profession Counseling the Corporation in Crisis Lawyers' Ethics Professional Responsibility Professional Responsibility and Small Firm Practice: How to Start and Build a Law Firm Professional Responsibility and the Future of the Legal Profession Professional Responsibility: Advocacy and Ethics in Practice Professional Responsibility: Ethics in Public Interest Practice Professional Responsibility: From Model Rules to Role Models - The Theory and Practice of Legal Ethics Professional Responsibility: How and Why Lawyers Get Into Trouble Professional Responsibility: Problems from Practice Professional Responsibility: The American Legal Profession in the 21st Century: Technology, Markets and Regulation Professional Responsibility: The Ethical Lawyer and the Good Life  

Each J.D. student is required to take a course in Professional Responsibility in order to graduate. Many students, however, may want to go further to deepen their understanding of the profession they are about to enter, or to prepare for one of the emerging ethics-related careers, such as bar counsel prosecuting attorneys for ethics violations, in a role defending attorneys in trouble, or within a law firm or corporate legal officer as an "ombudsman," "ethics czar," or "managing partner" concerned about the ethical conduct of the attorneys within that organization. In at least one state, there are now professional judges who hear only cases involving charges of ethical violations by attorneys.

The basic two-credit Professional Responsibility course examines the professional and ethical obligations and duties of the lawyer in today's society. It examines the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in some depth drawing comparisons, when appropriate, with the Model Code of Professional Responsibility. But it does so in a larger context of the profession and the relationship of attorney to client as well as the attorney's ethical duty as a professional in relation to a moral duty to him or her self as well as to society as a whole, including representing (or refusing to represent) persons who are unpopular, guilty, or personally repugnant. The course also introduces the student to the bar admission process and to attorney disciplinary proceedings and how they work.

The focus of each section of the basic course varies somewhat by professor. The two-credit course, Professional Responsibility and the Future of the Legal Profession , deals with ethical problems from the standpoint of the practicing lawyer confronted with real world issues requiring decision making on the lawyers part, rather than abstract speculation. The course also focuses on the changes in the legal profession in recent years (i.e. rise of mega firms, entry of women and minorities).

The two-credit course, Professional Responsibility and the Future of Legal Profession , examines ethical problems that illustrate the kinds of situations with which lawyers must deal, which call for deliberation on moral, legal, and practical considerations. The course gives students an appreciation for the importance of careful judgment in confronting both the opportunities and pressures they will face in modern law practice.

A three-credit course, American Legal Profession , that meets the professional responsibility requirement was added to the curriculum in 1996-1997. The course, combines study of the Model Code of Professional Responsibility and the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility (now covered in the two-credit course) with examination of broader issues related to the legal profession, including such topics as the history and sociology of the profession, philosophical approaches to professional ethics, the role of legal education in the evolution of the legal profession, diversity issues in the profession, the profession and public perception, and the role of some leaders in the profession.

Professional Responsibility: Ethics in Public Interest Practice (two credits) examines legal ethics through the lens of public interest practice and the representation of otherwise unrepresented groups and individuals. The course, required for Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS), is open to other interested students. This course also meets the Professional Responsibility requirement.

One course offered during Week One is relevant to issues of professional responsibility. Law Firm Economics and the Public Interest: Advancing the Commitment to Pro Bono Publico through Law Firms and Other Legal Institutions focuses on the tension between the realities of practice in large law firms and the public service obligation of the profession. Students in the seminar develop a plan to enhance or introduce a pro bono project at a law firm.

LAW 611 v30 Advocacy, Client Counseling and Negotiation Skills in Practice Settings

J.D. Seminar | 1 credit hour

Through role plays set in the context of interaction with clients, fact-finding, negotiation, litigation, and transactional work, this Week One simulation course will teach first-year students how ethics issues arise in practice and how lawyers may run afoul of rules that govern professional responsibility. During the course’s four days, students will be involved in one or more of the following matters:

• A court sanctions hearing relating to allegations of abuses in civil discovery;
• A disciplinary hearing considering conflict of interest claims against in-house counsel because of her alleged representation of both a university and its president during a criminal investigation;
• A simulation of interaction with clients and negotiations relating to the sale of a helicopter;
• A simulation of an internal law firm investigation of alleged associate and partner abuses in billing.

In each of these situations, students, working in teams and in various roles will be assigned responsibility for meeting with clients, fact-finding—reviewing documents and interviewing prospective witnesses, researching pertinent ethics rules, engaging in negotiations, and making arguments either in a court or disciplinary hearing setting. Through these role-playing assignments, students will learn how to analyze rules of professional conduct, engage in fact-finding, and serve as advocates in various settings. Upper-class teaching fellows will serve as clients, potential witnesses, and decision-makers in the disciplinary setting.

LAW 361 v20 American Legal Profession

J.D. Course | 3 credit hours

This course combines material covered in the two-hour Professional Responsibility course with a broader examination of the legal profession. In addition to the law of lawyering (including the Model Rules of Professional Conduct), the course includes material on the moral underpinnings of law practice, the structure and regulation of the legal profession, and the distribution of legal services. The course uses problems and case studies to enable students to identify ethics issues as they arise in different practice areas, including private practice, government lawyering, criminal defense and prosecution, and public interest practice.

LAW 504 v01 Appellate Courts Immersion Clinic

J.D. Clinic | 12 credit hours

Please see the Appellate Courts Immersion Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Appellate Courts Immersion Clinic PDF .

For more information about clinic registration generally, please see the Clinic Registration Handbook .

LAW 504 v00 Appellate Litigation Clinic

J.D. Clinic | 14 credit hours

Please see the Appellate Litigation Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Appellate Litigation Clinic PDF .

For information about clinic registration generally, please see the Clinic Registration Handbook .

LAW 500 v00 Center for Applied Legal Studies

J.D. Clinic | 10 credit hours

See the Center for Applied Legal Studies website for more detailed information about the clinic.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Center for Applied Legal Studies PDF .

LAW 528 v02 Civil Rights Clinic

Please see the Civil Rights Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Civil Rights PDF .

LAW 528 v01 Communications and Technology Law Clinic (IPR)

Please see the Communications and Technology Law Clinic (IPR) website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Communications and Technology Law Clinic (IPR) PDF .

LAW 1830 v01 Corporate Boards Seminar

J.D. Seminar | 2 credit hours

This course will focus on the optimal functioning of privately-held and U.S. publicly-listed companies, as well as on the duties of directors and their advisors in times of crisis or significant change for the corporation.  At the conclusion of this seminar, you will have navigated multiple real-life crises that the largest public and private companies face in the course of their business, and will be equipped to play a significant advisor role to corporate boards or other stakeholders requiring commercially-savvy legal representation in corporate crises.  These are the matters that involve the country’s most experienced and capable corporate boards, advised by the best-in-class law firms, investment banking firms, public relations firms, and consulting firms, among other advisors.  Over the course of the semester, the class will analyze eight case studies for public and private companies facing a material, and in some cases, company-threatening crisis.  The course will immerse students in the most commonly recurring disruptive events that cause trauma to private and public companies.  Those disruptive events include commercial failure of the company, allegations of fraud, antitrust inquiries, activist aggression, SEC investigations, DOJ or federal or state Attorney General investigations, senior executive failures or departures, public relations crises, company-threatening civil or criminal litigation, political interference, competitive displacement, and the other most frequently-recurring fact patterns.  We will first identify and analyze the legal issues that frame the viable legal options, and then identify and evaluate the commercial interests of the company.  Within that legal and commercial framing, we will analyze the self-interests, objectives, and risk-reward calculus that drive each stakeholder’s likely decisions and actions.  

We will then role play the response plan to address the crisis, with each student playing a different role – some students will constitute the corporate board, both management and independent directors, some will role play the largest public or private shareholders, one or more will be the company’s founder(s) where relevant, and the remaining students will be the lawyers representing these and other relevant stakeholders. The seminar will focus on mastery of the legal and commercial framework that frames the viable decision trees, as well as mastery of the skills and considerations necessary to navigate the dynamics and multi-dimension nature of corporate crises. This course will also focus on the fundamental record-establishing legal documents that reflect corporate board decision-making through crises, including the preparation of presentations, agendas, resolutions, minutes, and other legal, business, and strategy documents for boards and board committees. 

Professor Green will provide case studies a week in advance along with the roles each student will play.  The students will then use the week leading up to each class to conduct legal and other research, to communicate amongst themselves, with other classmates, and with external stakeholders and shareholders. The Chair/CEO will present the facts of each case and run the board meeting with the assistance of the General Counsel, the CFO, and other stakeholders.  Professor Green will lead follow-up sessions to discuss and critique each management team’s presentation and materials and the performance of the students assuming each role.  

In addition to prepared case studies, Professor Green will provide reading materials taken from the  Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Economist, and the other leading business-focused media reporting on current real-life corporate crises.  We will discuss and analyze the circumstances attendant to on-going public corporate events, and will apply what we are learning in our simulations to what is likely unfolding in the boardroom in these actual situations.  Students will learn the legal and commercial framing of these scenarios and will gain insight into what is likely happening behind the scenes to manage each reported crises we study.  

In addition to the case studies, we will spend several classes reviewing and discussing the reading materials and will have panel discussions as well, including guest panelists who are expert lawyers and senior executives at companies who have worked through significant corporate crises. 

LAW 1830 v00 Corporate Boards Seminar: The Duties of Directors and their Advisors

In this seminar we will simulate meetings of a board of directors of US listed public companies facing significant challenges or threats. Every two weeks, the class will examine a case study for a company in crisis. The class will be divided into teams of three to four students who will serve as members of management to conduct a board meeting. Typically, the students will serve as Chairman of the Board/CEO and other members of management, including General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, although those positions may vary, depending upon the details of the case. The student teams may also elect to have team members serve as outside financial, legal, or communications advisors to management and the board. The balance of the class will act as board members and will receive position descriptions for their director respective roles. Every two weeks, the board will face one or more corporate governance challenges as the company confronts a crisis. This course will emphasize the preparation of presentations, agendas, resolutions, minutes, and other legal, business, and strategy documents for boards and board committees. As stated above, student teams will take turns serving as the Chairman of the Board/CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer (or a different member of the management team, as deemed appropriate), leading the board of directors through a discussion of the most critical issues in each case study. The management presenters will have two weeks leading up to each class to conduct legal and other research, to communicate amongst themselves, with other classmates, and with external stakeholders and shareholders (as played by Professor Kamerick). The Chairman/CEO will present the facts of case and run the board meeting with the assistance of the General Counsel, the CFO, and other members of management. Professor Kamerick will lead follow up sessions to discuss and critique each management team’s presentation and materials and the performance of the students assuming the roles of board members. The course will focus on the customary functioning of United States publicly listed companies, as well as on the duties of directors and their advisors in times of crisis or significant change for the corporation.

LAW 512 v01 Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic

Please see the Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic PDF .

LAW 512 v00 Criminal Justice Clinic

Please see the Criminal Justice Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Criminal Justice Clinic PDF .

LAW 518 v00 Domestic Violence Clinic

Please see the Domestic Violence Clinic website for more information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Domestic Violence Clinic PDF .

LAW 528 v03 Environmental Law and Justice Clinic

Please see the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic PDF .

For information about clinic registration, please see the Clinic Registration Handbook .

LAW 2042 v01 Ethics in Tax Law

LL.M Course (cross-listed) | 2 credit hours

This course provides students with an opportunity to consider and address the ethical issues that attorneys frequently encounter in different kinds of modern-day tax practice, either tax planning or controversy. Such contemporary issues relate to conflicts of interest, evidentiary privileges and confidentiality duties, tax return preparer penalties, tax opinion standards, tax shelters, federal-court petitions for injunctive relief and for review under the Administrative Procedure Act, and rules governing disciplinary proceedings. To help students to grapple with these issues, both individually and in collaboration with fellow students, this course will provide a legal framework and tools to analyze and address the tax lawyer's legal and professional obligations under the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct, as adopted by state disciplinary authorities, Treasury Department Circular No. 230 (the regulations governing practice before the Internal Revenue Service), and the Internal Revenue Code’s penalty provisions.

LAW 530 v00 Federal Legislation Clinic

Please see the Federal Legislation Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Federal Legislation Clinic PDF .

LAW 552 v01 Housing Advocacy Litigation Clinic at Rising for Justice, Law Students in Court Division

J.D. Clinic | 7 credit hours

Please see the Rising for Justice (Housing Advocacy and Litigation Clinic) website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Rising for Justice (Housing Advocacy and Litigation Clinic) PDF .

LAW 880 v00 International White Collar Crime

LL.M Course | 2 credit hours

This course examines key issues arising from the criminalization of transnational business conduct and attempts to enforce national laws extraterritorially, as well as how to counsel clients to comply with inconsistent or conflicting legal regimes. Topics covered will include: bribery of foreign officials, crime on the internet, economic embargoes and export and reexport controls, securities fraud, money laundering, and price-fixing. Attention will be paid to foreign governmental opposition to U.S. assertions of jurisdiction via "blocking" statutes, secrecy laws, and use of local court injunctions, as well as to mechanisms for resolving jurisdictional conflicts, including international agreements for notification, consultation, mutual legal assistance, "positive comity," and exchanges of confidential information among enforcement authorities. The course will also focus extensively on compliance and ethics issues and on techniques for dealing with government law enforcement agencies.

LAW 520 v00 International Women's Human Rights Clinic

Please see the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

LAW 532 v02 Juvenile Justice Clinic

J.D. Clinic | 9 or 14 credit hours

Please see the Juvenile Justice Clinic website for more detailed information about the program.

For registration-specific supplemental materials, please see the Juvenile Justice Clinic PDF .

LAW 135 v01 Law Firm Economics and the Public Interest: Advancing the Commitment to Pro Bono Publico through Law Firms and Other Legal Institutions

The point of this course is to provide the tools and some of the experience of working in or with a large law firm pro bono practice. We do this through three primary means: lecture (not just from the professors, but also from law firm and legal services leaders in the community); reading current materials on pro bono and the state of the legal market; and role-playing, using our mock law firm, Rodriguez Zimmerman & Drysdale. Each student will have a specific role in that fictional law firm, and we will provide access to more firm financial information than you will likely have at any other firm when you start (and certainly more than you would ever have from the outside). Alas, it is fictional – but trust us, it is realistic. To understand how pro bono works in a large law firm, you first need to be familiar with how a large law firm itself works, both internally and in the market. The beginning of this course focuses on what we broadly call “law firm economics,” but just as well could be called “operations” or “management” or “finance.” We want you to understand these subjects so that you can answer this question – and then argue or defend the answer in the future: how is it that the Top 100 revenue-producing law firms in the United States contribute, on average, about 60 hours of free legal services per attorney each year? What does the donation of 1½ weeks of productivity do to the firm’s bottom line? Then we will focus on the how and why of pro bono practice. Where did this impulse to provide free legal services come from? How do law firms decide which matters to take, and which to decline? There is a vigorous debate in the law firm pro bono community about “what counts” as pro bono work – there is even a small treatise with that very name (included in the reading materials). Beyond the issue of qualification, how do law firms determine their pro bono priorities? How does pro bono fit within larger law firm management goals? We will also explore pro bono from other points of view: public interest providers, law schools, corporate in-house counsel and the media. What role do these organizations play in the provision of pro bono legal services, and how do they interact with large law firm pro bono practices?

LAW 361 v22 Lawyers' Ethics

J.D. Course | 2 credit hours

This course will examine critically the law governing lawyers' ethics. The course will address the role of the lawyer in an adversary system, professional ethics and personal morality, the allocation of decision-making between lawyer and client, zealous representation, lawyer-client trust and confidence, conflicts of interest, preparing and examining witnesses, client perjury, prosecutors' ethics, judicial ethics, solicitation of clients, and the ethics of torture. Readings will include the rules and standards of professional conduct, case law, legal scholarship, and anecdotal materials. Class discussion will be based on these materials as well as excerpts from film and television. This course will be of special interest to those interested in criminal law, public interest law, and litigation generally.

Please note: This is not a preparation course for the MPRE. Many of the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct will be assigned, and you will be expected to have a working familiarity with them. However, the Model Rules will not be the focus of the course except in the context of broader discussions of lawyers' professional conduct in an adversary system. The emphasis of the class will be principally, but not exclusively, on litigation in the criminal context. Although differing ethical views will be discussed, the instructor will emphasize a client-centered view of lawyers’ ethics, rooted in the Bill of Rights. The examination will be closed-book.

LAW 508 v02 Policy Clinic (Harrison Institute for Public Law)

J.D. Clinic | 8 or 14 credit hours

Students in the Policy Clinic provide services to make democracy work several policy themes. Recent projects include:

• Community equity – Combat gentrification and displacement in low-income communities of color, develop a community support fund, develop a community resilience hub.
• Health and food – Organize a consortium to improve working conditions in university food supply chains, expand access to oral health services, reinvent a better food chain for institutions (universities, hospitals, schools, and shelters), analyze social determinants of health (housing, food security, etc.) for state health officials.
• Labor and human rights – Organize a consortium to improve working conditions in university food supply chains (same as health above), protect worker rights in global supply chains for the FIFA World Cup and other mega-sporting events.
• Trade and climate – Develop mutually supporting climate and trade policies, develop options for international cooperation on climate policies through “climate clubs,” recommend strategies to decarbonize steel production without violating WTO rules, and identify strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while preserving manufacturing jobs.

Please see the  Policy Clinic website  for more detailed information about the program.

Learning outcomes for this clinic: Students are supervised, evaluated and graded on three skill sets, each of which has specific evaluation criteria in the Policy Clinic Operations Guide.

• Management and professionalism  – includes “managing up” with supervision meetings, initiating self-evaluation, managing effort and deadlines, collaborating, and expectations in a professional culture.
• Analysis and strategy  – covers legal, policy and strategic analysis.  It includes identifying issues that require analysis, learning the context efficiently, using diverse sources to avoid bias, explaining analytic methods, using a logical framework, and drawing conclusions that meet client needs.
• Communication, writing and speaking  – includes organizing documents and presentations, meeting audience needs for context and decision-making, relating analysis through stories and examples, presenting visual information, and editing for plain language, clarity, and English style.

LAW 361 v00 Professional Responsibility

This course will focus on lawyers' relationships with clients, opposing parties, the courts, and the public. Problems of professional responsibility are treated in several contexts, including the lawyer's duties to the client, the lawyer's reconciliation of duties to multiple clients, and the lawyer's reconciliation of client obligations with the demands of justice and the public interest. Although the focus of the course is on lawyers' ethical responsibilities, attention will be paid to the important role that lawyers play in advancing client interests and in self-regulating their profession.

Learning Objectives:

The central objectives are to prepare students to recognize ethical problems when they arise; to identify the pertinent authority--including the ethical code provisions (which we will assume to be the Model Rules of Professional Conduct)--that most likely bear on the matter; and to arrive at a sound resolution.

LAW 361 v01 Professional Responsibility

This course endeavors to provide a practical, and practice-oriented (as opposed to academic, philosophical or jurisprudential), approach to the ethical, moral and social issues that lawyers deal with in the practice of their profession. The central objectives are to prepare students to recognize ethical problems when they arise; to identify the pertinent authority--and in particular the ethical code provisions (which we will assume to be the Model Rules of Professional Conduct)--that are most likely to bear on the matter; and to arrive at a sound resolution. Necessary to these ends will be consideration of the ways in which the ethical codes address the often competing interests involved: those of clients, of opposing parties, of non-parties, of the system of justice generally, and of the lawyers themselves. Although the particular focus of the course is on ethical issues, and on the codes and other authority that govern the resolution of such issues, some attention will be paid to putting the subject in a setting that encompasses both a macroscopic view of the role of lawyers in society and a more earth-bound understanding of the processes, disciplinary and compensatory, by which the professional responsibilities of lawyers are enforced.

The central objectives are to prepare students to recognize ethical problems when they arise; to identify the pertinent authority – and in particular the ethical code provisions (which we will assume to be the Model Rules of Professional Conduct) – that are most likely to bear on the matter; and to arrive at a sound resolution.

LAW 361 v04 Professional Responsibility

This course examines, against the background of the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, the professional and ethical obligations and duties of the lawyer in today's society. A quick overview of the organized bar and the restrictions on the profession against such practices as solicitation precedes an in-depth examination of the lawyer's relationship with and obligations to his/her client as well as the additional and frequently clashing obligations which the lawyer owes the court, adversaries, and other persons. The course also includes a summary treatment of disciplinary proceedings and a discussion of the lawyer's professional obligation with respect to broad social problems, such as the distribution of legal services and the representation of unpopular clients and causes. The focus of each professor may vary, e.g., ethics in government, the large private law firm, public interest law, or criminal law.

LAW 361 v30 Professional Responsibility

This course addresses the ethical requirements that govern the practice of law and satisfies the Professional Responsibility requirement for graduation.

The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge required to recognize and navigate any future ethical dilemma they may encounter as attorneys. Students should develop a strong foundational understanding of both the ABA Model Rules and the state ethical rules in the jurisdiction where they plan to practice. Instruction will be focused on imparting a practical skill set that students can rely on when beginning their journey as attorneys. Students should come away with an understanding of the importance of adhering to higher moral and ethical standards as officers of the court. Students should also develop an intellectual curiosity (or a healthy fear) that inspires them to stay informed of the disciplinary law in their jurisdiction as they move forward in their careers.

LAW 361 v54 Professional Responsibility

This course approaches Professional Responsibility from a practical and practice-oriented perspective (as opposed to an academic, historical, philosophical or jurisprudential one) and is intended to equip new lawyers to recognize ethical issues as they arise, identify the relevant rules and resources available that address those issues, and provide a framework for thinking about the best resolution while considering the potential consequences for the attorney, client and any other relevant actors who are involved.

The course will: (1) provide an overview of the rules of professional conduct, using the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct as a baseline, but discussing variations in other jurisdictions, primarily the District of Columbia, (2) apply the rules to fact patterns intended to highlight common issues attorneys confront in specific contexts, focusing on practice in a large firm environment, and (3) address an attorney’s liability for legal malpractice (and other potential consequences, such as criminal liability) against the backdrop of the rules of professional conduct.

LAW 361 v55 Professional Responsibility

This two-credit Professional Responsibility course will provide students with a roadmap for analyzing real-world legal ethics dilemmas. We will closely examine the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) and consider differences between the MRPC, the DC rules, and those of other jurisdictions. But knowing the rules is only the beginning of ethical practice--because they can be surprisingly difficult to apply to specific situations, we will focus on underlying principles and the ways in which particular rules can conflict with each other and with a lawyer's instincts and best intentions. We will also discuss lawyers' duties to the profession, to society, and to their own sense of morality, including representing (or refusing to represent) persons or policies that are unpopular or personally repugnant. Finally, the course will introduce students to the attorney disciplinary process.

LAW 361 v57 Professional Responsibility

J.D. Course (cross-listed) | 2 credit hours

The basic two-credit Professional Responsibility course examines the professional and ethical obligations and duties of the lawyer in today's society. It examines the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. We spend considerable time discussing the real-life application of the rules to the practice of law. We examine the relationship of attorney to client, the relationship of attorney to the judicial system, and the attorney's ethical duty as a professional in relation to a moral duty to him or her self as well as to society as a whole, including representing (or refusing to represent) persons who are unpopular, guilty, or personally repugnant. 

LAW 361 v59 Professional Responsibility

This course endeavors to provide a practical, and practice-oriented (as opposed to academic, philosophical or jurisprudential), approach to the ethical, moral and social issues that lawyers deal with in the practice of their profession. The central objectives are to prepare students to recognize ethical problems when they arise; to identify the pertinent authority--and in particular the ethical Rules found in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct--that are most likely to bear on the matter; and to arrive at a sound resolution. Necessary to these ends will be consideration of the ways in which the ethical codes address the often competing interests involved: those of clients, of opposing parties, of non-parties, of the system of justice generally, and of the lawyers themselves. Although the particular focus of the course is on ethical issues, and on the codes and other authority that govern the resolution of such issues, some attention will be paid to putting the subject in a setting that encompasses both a macroscopic view of the role of lawyers in society and a more earth-bound understanding of the processes, disciplinary and compensatory, by which the professional responsibilities of lawyers are enforced.

LAW 361 v28 Professional Responsibility: Advocacy and Ethics in Practice

Professional Responsibility: Advocacy and Ethics in Practice is a two-credit course in which through simulation involving interaction with clients, fact-finding, negotiation, and litigation, students will learn how ethical and values dilemmas arise in advocacy and practice settings and how ethical rules and other forms of regulation address them. During the semester, simulation exercises may include:

• A court sanctions hearing relating to alleged abuses in civil discovery;
• A simulation of interactions with a client and opposing counsel during a difficult contract negotiation
• An internal law firm investigation of alleged associate and partner abuses in billing;
• A disciplinary hearing relating to in-house counsel’s alleged complicity in his company’s fraudulent misconduct; and
• A meeting with a virtual law firm client in which advice is given on how to avoid unauthorized practice of law and marketing restriction in a multi-jurisdiction practice.
• Knowledge about professional responsibility requirements and ambiguity.
• Ability to engage in critical strategic thinking when analyzing professional responsibility issues
• Ability to develop and sharpen creative problem-solving skills
• Ability to work collaboratively on matters assigned to a team
• Ability to engage in effective and persuasive oral and written advocacy

LAW 1264 v00 Professional Responsibility: Ethics in Public Interest Practice

Public interest lawyering is counter-cultural in the legal profession, but the substantive law governing lawyers is generally the same regardless of practice area. This course examines the regulation of the legal profession with a focus on the ethical issues most often encountered by public interest lawyers. Most class meetings will be devoted to applying the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and other lawyer law to problems chosen from the text and other sources. Issues will include confidentiality and publicity; allocation of decision-making authority; conflicts of interest between individual clients and the broader client community or particular social justice movement; settlement and fee shifting; and special problems in organizational, class, and mass representation. The course will also examine the history of public interest law, issues confronting the public interest movement, and career options.

LAW 1187 v00 Professional Responsibility: Problems from Practice

Studying the legal profession, and particularly its code of ethics, is fascinating! May a lawyer rat on her client who is planning to kill someone? If a lawyer thinks that his client, a start-up technology company, is likely to be a big success, may the lawyer ask for stock in the company in lieu of a fee? May a prosecutor to impersonate a defense lawyer in order to save lives? May a lawyer represent two criminal co-defendants? Must a prosecutor turn in his best friend, a fellow prosecutor who has concealed evidence from a criminal defendant?

In this course, you will read almost no judicial opinions. Instead, you will work on about forty ungraded problems, most of which are based on real situations that lawyers faced. Instead of reading autopsies of cases (that is, appellate opinions), the required readings will provide you you with the relevant legal framework (the Rules of Professional Conduct and other law that governs lawyers). The assigned problems will ask you to step into the shoes of a lawyer who has to make a critical decision, often caught between conflicting loyalties. It will be your job to think about what you would do in that situation, taking account all of the relevant factors. You will not have to submit your decisions and analyses in writing, but you will be expected to formulate them before class and to be prepared to discuss the reasons for your decisions during the class.

Almost every class will include one or two periods in which you will discuss a problem in small groups before we discuss it in the class as a whole, though we will discuss some problems without first having a small group discussion. You will use your laptop or mobile phone to cast anonymous votes registering what you would do as the problems unfold. The class discussions will explore and evaluate the legal, ethical and strategic justifications for each possible course of action. After the discussion of each problem, the instructor will reveal what happened in the real case on which the problem was based.

This is a three-credit section of the course and therefore a deeper dive into the subject than a two-credit offering. If you elect this section, you should plan to:

(a) attend almost all classes (except in the case of illness, religious observance or other compelling reason),

(b) do almost all of the assigned reading,

(c) analyze the assigned problems before each class (as if they were problem sets for a math or science course, though they are not math or science problems),

(d) participate in class discussions (the instructor does not do cold calling but expects a lot of volunteering, and the strongest class participants will have a small grading advantage) and

(e) vote in the frequent anonymous in-class polls. 

Everyone has a different learning style. This section of the professional responsibility course will be most engaging for students who engage in these five aspects of “active learning” rather than merely taking notes.

The textbook for the course will be Lisa G. Lerman, Philip G. Schrag, and Robert Rubinson, ETHICAL PROBLEMS IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW (6th edition, 2023).  (Note: because some of the problems require more class time than others, the reading assignments in this course are necessarily of uneven lengths. Two of the classes have long reading assignments, and two others have very short reading assignments). Also required is a supplement: Lerman, Schrag and Gupta, Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law: Model Rules, State Variations, and Practice Questions (2023-2024 edition). You should use the paper rather than the electronic editions of these books, because the exam will be an open book take-home test, with access to hard drives allowed, but you will not be permitted to go on line during the test. The professor also might assign short readings about current events involving legal ethics or the legal profession.

The course will incidentally help you to prepare for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). However, unlike the MPRE questions, which have clear-cut answers, most of the problems discussed in the course have pros and cons for various plausible courses of action. Therefore, the course is not an MPRE prep course, but it is an MPRE PLUS course.

The professor has created a document with a summary of the learning goals for this course .

LAW 361 v10 Professional Responsibility: The American Legal Profession in the 21st Century: Technology, Markets, and Democracy

J.D. Course (cross-listed) | 3 credit hours

This class considers lawyers’ professional responsibilities through the lens of legal practice in the 21st Century. During the last decade, economic forces and the emergence of new technologies have roiled the legal services sector. At the same time, the pandemic has exposed an ever-deepening crisis in access to civil justice, experienced by a large portion of Americans. Meanwhile in the political sphere, lawyers have been enlisted in the service of anti-democratic forces that threaten the rule of law.  The course will be devoted to discussing what these trends mean for the regulation of lawyers and law as a profession. This course satisfies the professional responsibility requirement, but is not intended to prepare you for the MPRE. The course does not satisfy the credit requirements for students who need the LL.M. to become eligible to sit for the NY Bar.

LAW 361 v60 Professional Responsibility: The Ethical Lawyer and the Good Life

This course explores the legal principles and rules that govern lawyers and law practice. We will use the Model Rules of Professional Conduct as our framework and cover topics that include the regulation of lawyers, legal malpractice, the formation and termination of the attorney-client relationship, the duties of confidentiality, zealous representation and candor to the court, the lawyer's duties to adversaries and third parties, conflicts of interest, the attorney/client privilege and the work product doctrine. We will take a problem-oriented approach and make ethical arguments in class with respect to assigned problems to help students develop the analytical tools to identify and resolve ethical issues. Our approach to solving ethical problems will use traditional methods of legal analysis, real life experiences, and theories of decision making that recognize the biases that can lead to error. We will consider situations where what seems like the right course of action may be unethical. We will also discuss how adhering to ethical rules can help make a technically competent lawyer into a great lawyer. And we will analyze how being an ethical lawyer can lead to a meaningful professional life and contribute to the public good by providing pro bono legal services and using ethical rules to help preserve a free and democratic society.

The goals of this course are:

• to master the core Rules of Professional Conduct and related substantive and procedural law;
• to recognize ethical issues early before it is too late to resolve them;
• to learn to make compelling arguments on legal ethics issues and to resolve those issues;
• to explore how the ethical lawyer can be professionally fulfilled;
• to recognize the pressures and stresses of practicing law and the importance of taking action to address them;
• to apply insights from the field of psychology to avoid bias in resolving ethical issues;and
• to find happiness in the practice of law.

LAW 611 v05 Social Intelligence in the Practice of Law: Dealing Effectively with Clients, Colleagues, and Opposing Counsel

This skills-based simulation course will introduce students to the essential skills of social intelligence needed in all forms of a law practice—including law firms, government agencies, corporations, nonprofits, and solo practice. Students will learn about emotional intelligence and the factors that affect their abilities to interact with clients, co-workers, and opposing counsel. Students will study neuroscientific and psychological research that illustrates how basic brain function and other factors, such as strong emotion, influence how a person makes decisions. With this knowledge, students will develop strategies to improve their own decisions and to interact effectively with clients, colleagues, and opposing counsel as they engage in various types of decision-making. Using a combination of lecture, discussion, videos, skills exercises, and simulations of legal practice scenarios, this course will emphasize concrete, practical tools to increase students’ effectiveness in managing themselves and their interactions with others. The course will equip students to effectively communicate with others, present information in a persuasive light, recognize and address their own internal biases, and deal with interactions they may find difficult. Students completing this course will have developed a solid grasp on how to address the wide variety of interpersonal dynamics that commonly arise in the legal arena.

The main objectives of this course are to increase students’ awareness of the substantial role of social intelligence in the practice of law and to provide students with concrete skills to effectively handle day-to-day interactions. Students will learn research-based skills and strategies from the fields of neuroscience, the study of emotions and emotional intelligence, negotiation, and communication. As they learn theory, students will have the opportunity to practice techniques for harnessing these dynamics in professional interactions commonly involved in the actual practice of law. The simulations will emphasize positive strategies for dealing with common interpersonal interactions in a legal practice: lawyer–client, lawyer–opposing counsel, and lawyer–colleague. At the end of the course, students will have an improved ability to effectively communicate and negotiate, present information in a persuasive light, recognize and address internal biases, and deal with interactions they may find difficult—skills that talented legal minds need to become great counselors at law.

LAW 1397 v00 Street Law: Criminal Justice and Human Rights (Project-Based Practicum)

J.D. Practicum | 5 credit hours

Please see the  Street Law website  and this video for more information about the course.

OVERVIEW: Street Law Criminal Justice and Human Rights is a project-based practicum where Georgetown Law students teach practical law courses at D.C. public high schools (day students) or the DC Jail (evening students). Enrolled law students develop and refine critical lawyering skills, including legal research and writing, time and project management, public speaking, and the capacity to engage diverse audiences in a low-risk, high-reward environment. Street Law instructors help the local community better understand the law, identify how it impacts them, and develop legal and analytical skills. In short, Street Law instructors have a tangible impact on the lives of local residents. 

The fall curriculum focuses on the purpose of laws and legal reasoning, negotiations, criminal justice, and human rights. A lesson plan bank is provided to all Street Law instructors. The course capstone is a human rights “mini” mock trial where the high school students perform as lawyers and witnesses and compete against other Street Law classes. This practicum allows law students to gain invaluable lawyering skills while actively giving back to the local community. Guiding students through the semester is a remarkable and unforgettable experience. 

SEMINAR: The seminar uses interactive instruction to explore law and legal concepts, classroom management, lesson planning, and student assessment. Law students have time to collaborate with their peers and also gain access to additional lessons they can use in their classes. Outside of the seminar, faculty provide intensive support and collaborate with each student to support their learning and growth. 

PROJECT WORK: The placements are determined primarily by the law students' schedules. Law students spend at least 10 hours/week preparing for and teaching a practical law course. Law student instructors have the primary responsibility for instructing and grading their students. Street Law faculty and fellows observe each law student instructor and conduct post-observation debriefs at least three times per semester. 

Regular and punctual attendance is required at all practicum seminars, field placements, and scheduled events. If a student must miss a seminar, a Street Law event, or project work, the student must speak to the Street Law faculty as soon as possible to discuss the absence. Unless Street Law faculty indicate otherwise, a student with more than one unexcused absence from the practicum seminar or one week of unexcused absences from the fieldwork or project work may receive a lower grade or, at the professor’s discretion, may be withdrawn from the practicum. 

ORIENTATION: A three-day orientation is held from Tuesday, August 20, through Thursday, August 22. During orientation, law students will experience the student-centered teaching methodology they will use in their own classes and have a chance to practice facilitating lessons before entering the classroom. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory. Evening division students should contact the Street Law faculty to discuss orientation schedule conflicts.

MEETING INFO

Thursdays, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

After registering via MyAccess, please email Street Law Professor Charisma Howell at  [email protected]  to schedule an informational interview.

Students may not concurrently enroll in this practicum course and a clinic or another practicum course. Students may not receive credit for this course and the summer course, Street Law: Corrections and Community.

LAW 1398 v00 Street Law: Mock Trial Advocacy (Project-Based Practicum)

J.D. Practicum | 4-5 credit hours

OVERVIEW:   Street Law Mock Trial Advocacy is a project-based practicum course where Georgetown Law students teach a mock trial advocacy course at DC public high schools (day students) or the DC Jail (evening students). Enrolled law students develop and refine critical lawyering skills, including legal research and writing, time and project management, public speaking, and the capacity to engage diverse audiences in a low-risk, high-reward environment. Street Law instructors help the local community better understand the law, identify how it impacts them, and develop legal and analytical skills. In short, Street Law instructors have a tangible impact on the lives of local residents. 

The spring semester focuses on trial and litigation skills. Street Law instructors prepare their students to compete in a mock trial tournament. The law students develop a thorough understanding of trial procedure, law, and practical advocacy skills. This practicum allows law students to actively give back to the local community while gaining invaluable lawyering skills.

SEMINAR:  The seminar uses interactive instruction to explore law and legal concepts, classroom management, lesson planning, and student assessment. Law students have time to collaborate with their peers and also gain access to additional lessons they can use in their classes. Outside the seminar, faculty provide intensive support and collaborate with each student to support their learning and growth.

PROJECT WORK: The placements are determined primarily by the law students’ schedules for the semester. Law students will work at least 10 hours/week preparing for and teaching a practical law and trial advocacy course. Guiding high school students through the mock trial process is remarkable and unforgettable. Law student instructors are responsible for instructing and grading their students. Street Law faculty and fellows observe each law student instructor and conduct post-observation debriefs at least three times per semester. 

Regular and punctual attendance is required at all practicum seminars, field placements, and scheduled events. If a student misses a seminar, a Street Law event, or project work, they must speak to the Street Law faculty as soon as possible to discuss the absence. Unless the professor indicates otherwise, a student with more than one unexcused absence from the practicum seminar or one week of unexcused absences from the fieldwork or project work may receive a lower grade or, at the professor’s discretion, may be withdrawn from the practicum course.

ORIENTATION: A three-day orientation is held from Tuesday, January 7, through Thursday, January 9, 2025. During orientation, Law students will experience the student-centered teaching methodology they will use in their own classes and have a chance to practice facilitating before entering the classroom. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory. Evening division students should contact the Street Law faculty to discuss orientation schedule conflicts. Attendance at this orientation is mandatory for students who have not already taken the Street Law: Criminal Justice and Human Rights practicum in the fall semester.

After registering via MyAccess, please email Street Law Professor Charisma Howell at  [email protected]  to schedule an informational interview with Street Law faculty.

LAW 1465 v00 Women and Leadership Seminar

J.D. Seminar | 3 credit hours

This course focuses on women and leadership. The class is not about organizational or systemic change, but is solely focused on individual skill building. The class is peer-driven and students will work in teams and receive feedback from peers on papers and oral exercises. Students will also reflect both individually and with the group on what you expect from your career and develop strategies for achieving those goals.  Topics include:  self-advocacy, career pathing, navigating organizational politics, and networking. There will be distinguished guest speakers, who will share their experiences. perspectives, and advice. These conversations will be supplemented with cases and readings about women leaders, as well as a review of the current state of empirical evidence about the status of women as leaders. 

Course Goals/Student Learning Outcomes:

Develop self-advocacy tactics and styles.

Develop critical and strategic thinking skills.

Improve communication skills, both oral and written.

Develop team and collaborative skills.

Full-time and Visiting Faculty

John M. Copacino Deborah Epstein Eduardo Ferrer Kristin Henning David A. Koplow David J. Luban Wallace J. Mlyniec Tanina Rostain Paul F. Rothstein Hillary Sale Philip G. Schrag Abbe Smith Robert K. Stumberg

Eric Trump Stamps His Feet as Michelle Obama Appears at DNC

‘UNWATCHABLE’

Donald Trump’s second son was not impressed with the former first lady’s appearance at the Democratic National Convention.

Meghan mccain says dnc looks more fun than gop convention.

TO THE WINDOW...

The conservative commentator said the DNC's broadcast was “blowing the RNC's roll call out of the water.”

Victoria beckham now has her own netflix tell-all.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Victoria Beckham’s docuseries will give viewers a look into the star’s personal life and business.

German navy plays ‘star wars’ theme floating down the thames.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

A German naval commander blasted John William’s infamous ‘Imperial March’ as his corvette floated down the Thames river on Wednesday.

First night of dnc destroyed first night of rnc in ratings, about 20 million people tuned in to watch the dnc on monday night—compared to about 18 million who watched the rnc's first night., ‘actual billionaire’ j.b. pritzker has dnc message for trump, the illinois governor took the stage in his home state tuesday night and mocked the former president by hitting him where it hurts: his wallet., sir ian mckellen is crediting a fat suit for protecting him.

UNLIKELY HERO

The British actor fell while performing Shakespeare on London’s West End in June.

Ex-cop who murdered george floyd moved after prison stabbing, derek chauvin was one of four minneapolis police officers convicted of killing george floyd more than four years ago., georgetown law professor fired for remarks about black students.

‘REPREHENSIBLE’

Blake Montgomery

Former Reporter/Editor

Saul Loeb/Getty

Georgetown Law has fired an adjunct professor and placed another on leave over remarks about Black students at the university. Sandra Sellers, who is white, said during a recorded Zoom call , “I hate to say this. I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks. Happens almost every semester. And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on.’ You get some really good ones, but there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.” She apologized in a resignation letter: “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt my students or Georgetown Law and wish I could take back my words. Regardless of my intent, I have done irreparable harm and I am truly sorry for this.” David Batson, also party to the call, has been placed on leave. Georgetown University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action has opened an investigation. Law school dean William ­Treanor called the comments “reprehensible.”

Title: Forced to Look East? Russia, China, India, and the Future of Arctic Governance

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has signaled a firm interest in expanding its cooperation with China and India in the Arctic. Such a move could herald a new era in Arctic governance—one with a stronger influence from Asian countries. This essay examines what the suspension of the Arctic Council, the deliberate exclusion of Russia from the Council’s working groups, and the growing Western-led isolation of Russia means for the future of Arctic governance. It further considers the implications of the Russian Federation being forced to increasingly look eastwards on changing the governance mechanisms of the Arctic region.

The day that Russia invaded Ukraine—February 24, 2022—will go down as a turning point in the history of the twenty-first century. Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only a terrible event with unpredictable consequences for the future sovereignty and agency of an independent nation-state, but it also has influence far beyond Ukraine’s borders. In fact, the conflict has already interfered with what was once hailed as an exceptional feat in international relations: the successful and decade-long cooperation of eight states with territories north of the polar circle.

These cooperation efforts, particularly under the umbrella of the Arctic Council, are now in jeopardy. In light of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the remaining seven Arctic states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States) have gone from pausing participation in to excluding Moscow from some of the Arctic Council’s activities—thereby casting doubt on the durability, effectiveness, and desirability of its consensus-based modus operandi .[1]

Meanwhile the role of Asian states in Arctic governance has been a pressing issue as China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea have all been vying for greater influence over Arctic regional affairs since their acceptance to the Arctic Council as observer states in 2013. To this end, they have all increased their commercial presence in the Arctic over the past decade by investing in various endeavors ranging from (maritime) capacity building initiatives to extractive projects . While Arctic states have been receptive to the inflow of capital, they have proven less enthusiastic about the participation of these Asian states in agenda-setting practices and in the formation of rules of conduct in the region. Instead, they have preferred to retain a high degree of exclusivity in policymaking rights and privileges and limited the role of non-Arctic nations in the Council’s processes.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this state of affairs could undergo a drastic change. After an initial pause, the Arctic Council has now resumed its activities without Moscow. As Western sanctions cut Moscow off from the global market, Russia will likely be inclined to work more with non-Arctic states, especially China and India, in pursuit of its regional developmental goals. A joint initiative in the Arctic from these three states is even more probable due to their shared strategic interests in the region’s vast resources. More importantly, the three states represent what some label as grieved civilizational powers . As such, their cooperation could be facilitated by their shared frustration with what they consider a Western double standard in imposing sanctions and the West’s selective adherence to international law; a grievance that explains why both China and India have so far refused to outright condemn the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia began the securitization of its Arctic economy in 2014 when Western powers imposed heavy sanctions on the country for its illegal annexation of Crimea. By prioritizing self-reliance and partnership with Asian countries over the West, Moscow sought to insulate the development of its Arctic regions and resources from Western sanctions—an initiative that seems to have had mixed results. On the one hand, China and India have continued to purchase Russian oil and seem adamant to work with the Russian Federation in executing its Arctic hydrocarbon developmental plans. On the other hand, Japan and South Korea have decided to join forces with the West in enforcing sanctions against Russia. Moreover, and in what could be a major blow to Moscow’s Arctic LNG 2 project, South Korean shipbuilder, Deawoo, has cancelled the construction of an already ordered Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier.

Arguably, no other country benefits more from the current confrontation between Russia and the West than China. China now has the opportunity to increase its power over Russia, thereby reaffirming its status as the superior party in the context of its bilateral relationship. In fact, the more isolated Russia becomes, the more reliant it will be on China. Thanks to Western sanctions, for instance, Russia is ever more dependent on China as a financial investor and, perhaps more interestingly, a supplier of strategic civilian technology including, but not limited to, 5G systems . Moreover, China is already Russia’s largest foreign partner in the Arctic in regards to energy and in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine this collaboration can only grow. Notwithstanding its awareness of Russia’s past opposition to Chinese presence in the Arctic, Beijing reaps a strategic advantage in increased Russian isolation as it brings Moscow closer to its orbit, increases Chinese bargaining power when demanding price discounts, and enables China to further diversify its trade routes and energy supplies. Such advantages were on clear display after Russia’s annexation of Crimea when Beijing wholeheartedly committed itself to the Yamal LNG project whereby “ a combination of Chinese investments, gas purchase contracts, loans, and technology made possible the completion of this unprecedentedly complex project .”

Similarly to China, India has so far refused to enforce Western sanctions on Russia. For one, New Delhi sees a unique opportunity in the current standoff between Russia and the West to substantially increase its energy security by buying Russian oil and gas at a discounted price. With close to 85 percent of its military hardware of Russian origin , moreover, cutting ties with Moscow would greatly jeopardize India’s national security, making it a non-starter in the short to medium term. At play is also China’s growing ties with Moscow and New Delhi’s desire to ensure that Sino-Russo relations do not come at the expense of its own relations with Russia. In addition, India shares similar views on extended sovereignty with Russia, and is thus reluctant to criticize Moscow’s actions in Ukraine in order to avoid undermining its own stance on Kashmir; a reservation that could also explain its muted reaction to Beijing’s posture towards Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Contributing to Russia’s efforts in developing the Arctic region is of great importance to India partly because the government is keen on utilizing the commercial benefits of a shorter maritime passage via the Northern Sea Route. New Delhi’s Arctic engagement is also motivated by its desire to lock in meaningful Russian commitment to the completion of an extended version of the long-stalled North–South Transport Corridor which would ultimately deliver Arctic oil and gas to India. India’s involvement in the Arctic is also closely linked to its concerns that Beijing’s enhanced polar presence will distract the United States from the Indo-Pacific region. Officials in India worry that increased Chinese presence in the Arctic will effectively bring two of the US’s strategic foes, China and Russia, to the United States’ own Arctic backyard; a development that undermines the long-cherished principles of the Monroe Doctrine . The concern is that such a development could prompt a rethinking amongst American strategists to pay more attention and devote more resources to the Arctic and away from Indo-Pacific.

As Western financial sanctions begin to take hold, most Western lenders and companies have either departed from the Russian market or paused operations there. This exodus provides a much welcomed opening for Chinese and Indian entities to delve deeper into the Arctic, taking full advantage of President Putin’s agenda for the development of Russia’s Arctic zone. Meanwhile, efforts at establishing an alternative to the Arctic Council or resuming its activities without Russia could prompt Moscow to respond by establishing an alternative regional governing body with Beijing and New Delhi. Such a move could polarize regional governance and hinder effective decision making on region-wide issues, squeezing the Arctic’s smaller states—Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden—out of decision-making processes, and exposing the region to the dynamics of Chinese-Indian and Chinese-American power rivalries.

Above all, Arctic governance could become more Asianized due to Russia’s increased focus on its Asian identity in foreign affairs. Russia has always been part of Asia but historically, strategic decision-making in Moscow has been influenced more by the European element of its national identity. As a direct result of Western-led sanctions and Russia’s decoupling from the global economy and Western dominated global organizations, Moscow seems to be left with no other option but to tap into its Asian identity when formulating its foreign policy initiatives. It is thus not too far-fetched to imagine the emergence of competing governing bodies in the Arctic, some of which will either be dominated by Asian powers or will seek to normalize and promote a distinctive Asian view on the Arctic. This could further translate into endorsing the role of non-Arctic states in regional affairs and eventually lead to the often-raised spill-over effects of global US-China or US-Russia rivalry into the Arctic. In addition, the mere emergence of such competing discourses, let alone governing organs, will most likely increase the trust gap between the seven other Arctic Countries (A7) and Russia and could lead to the eventual demise of the Arctic Council.

Looking ahead, the best-case scenario would be to display a high degree of pragmatism and resume the working of the Arctic Council with the full participation of the A8. However, this is likely not a viable option due to the low trust between Russia and the West, and because it could heighten sensitivities amongst Eastern European nations. It could also prove unpopular with the electorates in the Western Arctic nations and undermine current efforts at delegitimizing Moscow on the world stage by providing it with a degree of legitimacy. Seeing the lack of good alternatives to choose from, the focus ought to be on the least disadvantageous course of action.

One such possibility lies in the form of preemption: isolating the Kremlin by preempting its outreach to Asia and incentivizing Asian states to work with the Western members of the Arctic Council while simultaneously warning them of severe sanctions should they continue to pour money into Russia’s Arctic projects. To this end, the recently held Second India Nordic Summit , during which Arctic cooperation was discussed, represents an important step in the right direction. Still, doing so involves hard strategic tradeoffs as it would require the Arctic states to give up on the notion of exclusivity and dial down on their strategic competition with Beijing and New Delhi. This course of action offers a way forward with less Russian influence in the Arctic but it does not prevent the expected rise in Asian, and more broadly, non-regional actors’ influence in the Arctic.

[1] In order to clarify: all projects re-started in June 2022 are projects approved before the pause came into effect and without initial Russian participation. This means that while coordination activities of the re-started projects are happening, all AC official meetings as well as the work of the Working Groups are still on pause – and so are all projects with Russian participation. And yet, even though the established Rules of Procedures have been followed by the A7, the decision not to re-start projects with any Russian participations means in our opinion an exclusion of the Russian Federation – if direct or indirect is anyone’s guess.

Nima Khorrami is a research associate at The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies in Washington, DC, and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek. His research lies at the intersection of geopolitics, technology, and infrastructural development.

Andreas Raspotnik is a senior fellow at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo, Norway and the Austrian Marshall Plan Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. He is also a senior fellow at The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies and primarily researches the European Union’s Arctic policy.

Image Credit: Manuel Ernst, CC by 3.0

• Arctic & Antarctic ,
• Asia & Oceania ,
• Multilateral Institutions & Agreements ,

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