George Washington University Hires Judge Overseeing Its Own Antisemitism Suit to Teach Ethics Course

eorge Washington University has hired U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan teach a law school course on judicial ethics and decision-making, even as she presides over a federal lawsuit against the university.

AliKhan, a Biden appointee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is overseeing Soffer v. George Washington University, a case filed in May 2025 by Jewish students and recent graduates. 

The suit alleges that GWU, in Washington, D.C., violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by allowing a hostile environment for Jewish students. Plaintiffs cite incidents of harassment, vandalism and other conduct, along with what they describe as an inadequate administrative response.

The university announced AliKhan’s teaching role Feb. 25 as part of its law school Field Placement Program. The Spring 2026 course, titled “Judicial Lawyering,” is expected to cover judicial decision-making, professional responsibility, attorney ethical obligations and broader issues related to fairness and bias in the legal system.