Students selected to participate in the Program have a variety of experiences and backgrounds ranging from patent examiners and technology designers to digital marketing analysts, journalists, librarians, and prior officers in the military.

And their interests are just as varied— privacy, the digital rights of children, social justice, and antitrust law, to name a few. What unites the Tech Law Scholars is their interest in how law and policy might be responsive to how technology affects these important issues.

The Tech Law Scholars Program selects up to 24 incoming, 1L J.D. students per year. Candidates may apply only after they have been admitted to the J.D. program. Part-time J.D. students are welcome to apply. 

Curricular Requirements

In order to receive the “Tech Law Scholar” designation, a student admitted to the Program must successfully complete the following academic requirements:

• For Scholars admitted to the Program as entering first-year law-school students, the Tech Law Scholars Seminar I;

• For all Scholars, the Tech Law Scholars Seminar II;

• A minimum of one “Core Course;”

• A minimum of one “Advanced Course” that satisfies the Upperclass Legal Writing Requirement identified in the JD Technology Law and Policy Curriculum Guide; and

• A minimum of six additional credits in courses other than “Core Courses,” at least two, but no more than four, credits of which are in “Clinics and Practicums” or “Skills Courses.”

Program Features

Tech Scholars participate in two year-long seminars in their 1L and 2L years. The 1L seminar exposes Scholars to current ethical, constitutional and policy issues relating to technology through sessions taught by members of Georgetown’s technology law faculty. The 2L seminar provides an introduction to key institutions and organizations that shape technology law and policy, through visitor presentations and faculty-coordinated field trips to federal agencies, Congress, the courts, and private sector and non-profit organizations.

Tech Law Scholars are paired with a faculty advisor from Georgetown’s Technology Law and Policy Faculty, who will serve as a resource throughout the Scholar’s law school career. Scholars are invited to participate in faculty-student lunches and a special orientation event each year.

Students are invited to participate in a peer mentoring program that introduces them to Tech Law Scholars in other class years. They also receive priority invitation to Tech Institute events.

Application & Deadlines

View and Complete the 2023 Tech Law Scholars Application

2023 TECH LAW SCHOLARS APPLICATION:

We accept applications to the Tech Law Scholars Program from candidates who have been admitted to the Georgetown University Law Center and who, if they accept their offer of admission, will be First-Year law students in the 2023-2024 academic year, as well as rising 2L students, including those who are transferring to Georgetown after their first year at another law school. Before starting an application, please note:

• You may not apply to the Tech Law Scholars Program until after you have been admitted as a First-Year JD student or Second-Year transfer student to the Law Center.
• You must have a NetID in order to use the online application. Candidates admitted to the Law Center should have received an email explaining how to receive their credentials, including their NetID. This information is also available on the Admitted Students site.
• The application requires candidates to upload a copy of their resume and a 750-word statement of interest, each as a PDF file. It is therefore strongly advisable that candidates have these materials prepared prior to starting a new application.

In the statement, candidates should explain their interest in participating in the Tech Law Scholars Program. Statements should be no more than 750 words. In the statement, candidates should address the following topics:

1. What are your long-term professional goals? How would your participation in the Tech Law Scholars Program help you achieve those goals?
2. What background or experience—educational, personal, or professional—sparked your interest in technology law and policy?
3. Identify one issue in technology law and policy that you find especially interesting or challenging and explain why.

Candidates should direct any questions about the application or the application process to TechInstitute@georgetown.edu.

2023 APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Incoming 1Ls: Friday, April 21

Rising Georgetown 2Ls: Friday, June 30

Transfer students: Friday, July 21

If you’re interested in applying, please fill out and submit the 2023 Tech Law Scholars Application.