Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) was founded in 1853 with a mission to bring world-class higher education to the Midwest. Today, it stands as one of the most globally respected research universities, proudly affiliated with 26 Nobel Laureates who conducted a significant portion of their award-winning work at the university. WashU's reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and collaboration — across disciplines and without boundaries — makes it a destination for the brightest minds from around the world.
WashU School of Law is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States, offering an intellectually rigorous and collegial environment where creative legal minds are developed and empowered. The school is home to a distinguished faculty who are recognized leaders in their fields and deeply committed to their students' academic and professional growth. A curriculum that combines strong legal foundations with emerging interdisciplinary areas — from intellectual property and technology law to environmental law, international law, and dispute resolution — prepares graduates to address complex legal challenges with precision and creativity.
For graduate students, WashU Law offers a flexible and comprehensive suite of programs including the LLM, Master of Legal Studies (MLS), and the JSD, designed to serve both US-trained and internationally-trained legal professionals. Students may pursue a customized LLM tailored to their individual career goals, or choose from specialty tracks including taxation, intellectual property and technology law, and negotiation and dispute resolution. Graduate students are fully integrated into the life of the law school and the broader WashU community, with access to renowned legal institutes, clinics, and interdisciplinary research centers. Graduates consistently secure prestigious positions across private practice, government, the judiciary, and public interest sectors — a testament to the caliber of a WashU Law education and its enduring global reputation.