The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law combines a Washington, DC location with a Catholic institutional mission and flexible JD schedules. Its strengths include technology, securities, public policy, and compliance.
This guide walks you through how to get into Catholic Law.
Jump to a section
1. Catholic Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Catholic Law Class of 2029:
- LSAT: 75th: 164 | Median: 163 | 25th: 161
- GPA: 75th: 3.85 | Median: 3.75 | 25th: 3.61
Catholic Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 163 | Median: 161 | 25th: 158
- GPA: 75th: 3.85 | Median: 3.68 | 25th: 3.46
The fall 2026 entering class has 190 students across the full-time day, part-time evening, and part-time day programs. Compared with fall 2025, the LSAT median rose two points and the GPA median rose from 3.68 to 3.75. The lower quartiles increased substantially, while the upper GPA quartile stayed level.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Catholic Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
Catholic requires a personal statement. Keep it to two pages; double spacing and a readable font of at least 10 points follow the school's stated guidance.
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
Additional Information
A brief addendum can carry information that does not belong in the personal statement.
For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Catholic Law Resume Requirements
Prepare a professional resume of up to two pages. Applicants with more than 20 years of professional experience may use three. Prioritize work, education, service, and concrete responsibilities rather than a long skills list.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Catholic Law Letters of Recommendation
Submit two or three letters of recommendation through LSAC. Academic letters are encouraged. Applicants with substantial work experience can use current professional recommenders who know their skills and responsibilities well.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Catholic Law Interview Process
Catholic Law does not offer admissions interviews.
6. Catholic Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Catholic accepts the LSAT or GRE. LSAC's Credential Assembly Service handles the required academic records and recommendations. A pending test or missing recommendation can keep an otherwise submitted application from being complete.
If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.
Application Dates and Fees
- Applications Open: September 15, 2026, for fall 2027 entry.
- Early Review: Complete by November 1 for a decision by December 31, or December 1 for a decision by January 16.
- Preferred Deadline: March 15.
- Final Deadline: May 31.
- Application Fee: $75, currently waived for online applicants.
Early Review
The school labels its early-review dates Early Decision. The November arrangement is nonbinding and requires no separate application. Review is rolling, so completing the file early matters for both seats and scholarships.
For a full breakdown of early decision strategy, see Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
Scheduling options: The JD is offered full-time during the day and part-time during the day or in the evening hybrid program. Evening hybrid students ordinarily finish in four years without required summers. The first two years combine two on-campus evenings with two evenings of remote coursework. Upper-level choices may require additional campus evenings.
For New York practice, the hybrid program currently requires a New York Court of Appeals waiver before graduates may sit for that state's bar exam.
7. Catholic Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
All JD applicants receive automatic merit-scholarship consideration; no separate merit application is required. Awards are made on a rolling basis and may cover part or all of tuition. Renewal is subject to the individual award's conditions, and changing between full-time and part-time enrollment can change the award amount.
Cost of Attendance
For 2026-27, full-time tuition is $64,350 annually. Listed mandatory fees bring tuition and fees to $66,120. For 2025-26, tuition, mandatory fees, and the off-campus living allowance totaled $95,654. Health insurance may add a separate charge.
Alumni and Cardinal Newman Society Scholarships
The Alumni Scholarship requires an alumni nomination submitted with the admission materials. The Cardinal Newman Society Scholarship considers eligible graduates or Newman Center participants during admission without a separate application. Put relevant participation in your application rather than assuming the committee will infer it.
Compare the remaining cost over the entire degree, including the additional year in a part-time program. A renewable dollar award and a full-tuition award behave differently when tuition changes.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Catholic Law Joint Degree Programs
Catholic offers seven joint-degree combinations within the university:
- JD/JCL: Licentiate in Canon Law, through the School of Canon Law.
- JD/MA: History, philosophy, politics, or psychology.
- JD/MSLIS: Library and information science, for interests including law librarianship.
- JD/MSW: Social work, through the National Catholic School of Social Service.
Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs. The philosophy combination can be completed in as little as three years; canon-law timing is flexible, and the degrees need not be awarded together.
9. Catholic Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Catholic Law Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 79.6%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 19.5%
- Federal clerkships: 1.8%
- Public service (including government): 19.5%
Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia account for most reported placements. Government work and state judicial clerkships are important parts of the school's employment pattern, alongside private practice. That makes Catholic especially relevant to applicants building a career in the capital region. Compare its scholarship offer with the salaries and hiring paths of the jobs you actually want, rather than budgeting around a large-firm outcome.
10. Catholic Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Law and Public Policy Program: This certificate combines legislation and administrative-law study with a Public Policy Practicum in which students develop and advocate for a policy proposal. Externships connect that work with government offices, nonprofits, and other policy settings.
Law and Technology Institute: The institute offers focus areas in communications and data privacy law and in intellectual property. Its curriculum connects technology regulation with administrative law, antitrust, and constitutional questions, while externships add experience in industry, government, and legal practice.
Securities Law Program: Corporate and securities courses support study of financial regulation, compliance, and governance. The program's Washington connections include opportunities at the SEC and FINRA, making it particularly relevant to applicants interested in regulatory or transactional financial work.
Corporate Responsibility and Compliance Program: Students study organizational accountability, compliance, internal investigations, and sustainability. The program connects legal obligations with how businesses and nonprofits manage risk, an especially concrete fit for applicants who have worked inside regulated organizations.
Comparative and International Law Institute: CILI covers public and private international law, comparative law, trade, and investment. It is a route for students whose interests cross legal systems rather than a general international label attached to the JD.
Certificate admission uses a separate application. Applying alongside the JD application gives the programs an opportunity to consider you while places remain.
11. Catholic Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Clinics
- Families and the Law Clinic: Students help domestic-violence survivors seek protection orders and handle related family cases, drafting pleadings, arguing motions, and conducting supervised trials in D.C. Superior Court.
- Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Clinic: Students assist with asylum, status, and detention matters, investigate facts, prepare cases, and take part in agency or court advocacy and community projects.
- Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic: Student attorneys advise university ventures and local businesses on formation, founder agreements, contracts, intellectual property, and employment questions.
- Nonprofit Advocacy Clinic: Students counsel a charity serving homeless youth, research lobbying and fundraising restrictions, and prepare reference materials and training for its staff.
- Virginia Criminal Defense Clinic: Working with the Arlington and Falls Church public defender, students investigate cases, negotiate pleas, prepare motions, and defend clients in supervised criminal proceedings.
- Religious Liberty Clinic: Students prepare appellate amicus briefs and regulatory comments concerning religious freedom for clients of different faiths. The clinic gives part-time students registration preference.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
The Legal Externship Program offers credit-bearing work in government, courts, firms, and nonprofit organizations. Securities students have opportunities connected to the SEC and FINRA. Pro bono participation is voluntary and separate from the JD's required experiential coursework.
12. Catholic Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- J. Joel Alicea, St. Robert Bellarmine Professor of Law, directs the Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and works in constitutional law.
- Marc O. DeGirolami, St. John Henry Newman Professor of Law, co-directs the Center for Law and the Human Person. His scholarship includes law and religion, constitutional law, and criminal law.
- Jocelyn Dyer, Clinical Associate Professor, directs the Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Clinic, connecting immigration and refugee law with supervised client representation.
- Susanna Frederick Fischer, Associate Professor of Law, directs the Comparative and International Law Institute and the Rome international human-rights summer program. Her fields include copyright, media, and art law.
Journals
- Catholic University Law Review: Articles, notes, and comments on current legal issues.
- Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology: Articles on communications, information privacy, and intellectual property law.
13. Catholic Law Culture and Student Life
Catholic's law school sits on the university's 176-acre Washington campus near the Brookland-CUA Metro station. Its Catholic identity is reflected in programs addressing human dignity, religious liberty, public service, and the relationship between law and moral reasoning.
The three JD schedules bring students with different work and family responsibilities into the community. The Evening Law Students Association and Parent Group provide specific points of connection for part-time students. Journals, advocacy teams, certificate programs, and university activities offer ways to participate beyond class, while Washington supplies a substantial part of the school's professional setting.
Want Help Getting Into Catholic Law?
I work with applicants one-on-one on the whole application process, from strategy through essays and submission.
Explore my services | Request a consultation
Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Catholic Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.
