GW Law students interested in business law practice have the unparalleled opportunity to gain substantive hands-on experience while pursuing a domestic off-campus study in the world’s top financial center – New York City. This innovative and unique program creates educational opportunities, linked to student professional goals, in an environment that draws on and deepens GW’s alumni relationships.
The GWNY program is offered during the spring semester to second and third-year GW Law students. Each program participant is required to enroll in a business law oriented 2, 3, or 4-credit externship, a 2-credit co-requisite course, Business Lawyering (LAW 6810), and business law electives taught by leading experts with their fingers on the pulse of the financial markets. GWNY course offerings are curated to mirror ever-evolving market demands and innovation. Past electives have included Banking Law (LAW 6289), Corporate Restructuring (LAW 6263), Securities Law Seminar (LAW 6264), and Legal Drafting (LAW 6652).
All GWNY classes, as well as monthly networking events, are held at the offices of participating law firms including Kramer Levin, Sullivan & Cromwell, O’Melveny & Myers, Morrison Foerster, Paul Weiss, and Kirkland & Ellis. Library privileges are available to GWNY students at Columbia University and New York University as well as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. While each student is responsible for securing housing arrangements, the program maintains an active partnership with the 92nd Street Y, a non-profit institution offering affordable accommodations to students on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
GWNY students may obtain field placements at a wide array of organizations offering business-centric externship opportunities to law students. Examples: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Settlement Housing Fund, Lawyers Alliance, New York State Commercial Courts, and U.S. Federal Bankruptcy Courts.
Thanks to the program, GWNY alumni have secured positions at the following firms, among many others: Baker Botts; Cahill Gordon; Clifford Chance; Cooley (2 alums); Davis Polk (2 alums); Hogan Lovells; Kirkland & Ellis; Kramer Levin; Mayer Brown (2 alums); O’Melveny (2 alums); Orrick Herrington; Paul Weiss (2 alums); Ropes & Gray; and Sullivan & Cromwell.
GWNY students find placements at top law firms at rates now surpassing every U.S. law school. In a recent survey of law graduates placed in AmLaw 100 firms, Columbia Law School led by placing 50.0% of its classes in such firms. In comparison, in the most recent GWNY class, our rate is 62.5%. Moreover, we aim for our overall employment rate to be 100%, with all other GWNY students accepting jobs at the best firms and organizations beyond AmLaw 100.