Legal History
Whereas smaller law schools might boast one or two legal historians, Georgetown Law’s size allows it to have a virtual history department within its walls.
Legal historians at Georgetown Law study domestic topics ranging from constitutional history to the twentieth century history of the administrative state to the history of consumer lending, and international topics such as eighteenth century English legal history and Chinese legal history.
Georgetown Law students enjoy unique opportunities to conduct original research in rare books and manuscripts at the National Archives, Library of Congress, Folger Library, and the Special Collections Department of Georgetown Law’s Edward Bennett Williams Library.
While some go on to pursue doctoral degrees in history, the many more students who become lawyers gain valuable insights into the origins or earlier phases of their fields of practice thanks in part to their unique access to original works.