Columbus School of Law

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. More than 400 Juris Doctor students attend Catholic Law. Incoming classes are typically composed of about 150 students, including day and evening programs. Around 1,500 students apply annually. According to Catholic Law's 2021 ABA-required disclosures, 59% of 2021 graduates obtained full-time, long-term employment requiring bar passage nine months after graduation. History Catholic University of America began offering instruction in law in 1895, as part of its decision to open "faculties for the laity." The department was turned into an official school in 1898. In 1919, the Knights of Columbus founded an educational program known as Columbus University which provided an evening education program for Catholic war veterans returning from World War I. This institution was closely affiliated with Catholic University and shared faculty at both institutions' Washington, D.C., locations. In 1954, Columbus University (then consisting only of an evening law school) merged with Catholic University's law school to form the Columbus School of Law.