Northern Illinois University College of Law

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Northern Illinois University College of Law
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Swen Parson Hall
Established 1975
School type Public
Dean Jennifer L. Rosato Perea
Location DeKalb, Illinois, U.S.
Enrollment 281[1]
Faculty 30
USNWR ranking Unranked
Bar pass rate 84% (2014)[2]
Website law.niu.edu
ABA profile Profile

Northern Illinois University College of Law (NIU Law) is one of three public law schools in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the only public law school in the greater Chicago area. The College of Law was originally founded as the Lewis University College of Law in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1975. It became part of Northern Illinois University in August 1979, and in 1982 moved to the DeKalb campus, taking up residence in Swen Parson Hall. The College of Law offers the Juris Doctor degree in both full-time and part-time programs.

According to NIU Law's 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 50.4% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding sole practitioners.[3]

About the College of Law

The campus is located just over an hour from Chicago in the suburban setting of DeKalb, Illinois.

Employment

According to NIU Law's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 50.4% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding sole practitioners.[3] Nine months after graduation, 63.2% of the NIU Law Class of 2013 was employed in full-time, long-term, J.D. Advantage, Bar Passage Required, or Professional positions.[3] NIU Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 29.9%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[4]

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at NIU Law for the 2014-2015 academic year is $40,564 for Illinois residents and $56,500 for out-of-state students.[5] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $159,680 for residents and $222,932 for out of state.[6] The average debt load for graduates in the Class of 2014 who borrowed at least one loan was $77,182.[7] The national average debt load in 2013 was $109,746.[8] Students who are out-of-state residents can obtain Illinois residency and qualify for in-state tuition six months after establishing Illinois residency.[9] Students can obtain a significant amount of financial assistance through the University and law school in the form of research and graduate assistantships, which normally provide waivers in the amount of full or partial in-state tuition, although some provide waivers in the amount of out-of-state tuition. [10]

Student organizations

The College of Law offers student activities such as Law Review, Moot Court Society, and Trial Advocacy Society. Prevalent student organizations include: the American Constitution Society (ACS), the Federalist Society, Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), Public Interest Law Society (PILS).

Northern Illinois University Law Review

The Northern Illinois University Law Review is a student-edited journal that publishes articles designed to assist the legal community and to stimulate critical discussion of current legal, policy, and social issues.[11] The Review publishes three issues per year, with the third issue being dedicated to a specific legal or social issue the membership has collectively decided to highlight.

Referred to as the "Symposium" issue, this issue is released in conjunction with a one-day conference composed of presentations, round-table discussion, and keynote addresses by experts on the Symposium topic.

  • 2015 - Medical Marijuana Legalization, A Growing Trend: Social, Economic and Legal Implications
  • 2014 - Shelby County v. Holder: A New Perspective on Voting Rights
  • 2013 - Eavesdropping and Wiretapping in Illinois
  • 2012 - The Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis: A Discussion of Current Issues, Trends, and Solutions
  • 2011 - Which Way Home: A Symposium on Human Trafficking
  • 2010 - What it Means to be a Lawyer in the Digital Age
  • 2009 - The Modern American Jury
  • 2008 - Emerging Issues in Election Law
  • 2007 - Medical Malpractice: Emerging Issues and the Effects of Tort Reform
  • 2006 - Current Issues in Child Custody Law
  • 2005 - Emerging Issues in Equal Protection
  • 2004 - Domestic Violence and Victimizing the Victim: Relief, Results, Reform
  • 2003 - The 21st Century Trial Lawyer: A Lawyer's Guide to Electronic Evidence Presentation and Case Management
  • 2002 - Hot Topics in Dispute Resolution: What Advocates, Neutrals, and Consumers Need to Know
  • 2001 - Defense Strategies in Death Penalty Litigation
  • 2000 - Land-use, Agricultural, and Environmental Law

Moot Court Society

The Moot Court Society is a student-run organization whose purpose is to further the advancement of appellate advocacy.[12] It draws its members from those students who have participated in the Lenny Mandell Moot Court Competition, which is offered to second-year students, or other co-curricular moot court competitions. The competition is named for Professor Lenny Mandell, who served as faculty advisor for the Moot Court Society for over 30 years.

Members participate in the formulation of the Moot Court problem, the administration of the program, and the judging of arguments in other programs. They are also eligible for membership on teams which participate in regional and national competitions.

Trial Advocacy Society

The Trial Advocacy Society is a student-run organization committed to developing trial advocacy skills and preparing students to become effective trial lawyers.[13] This mission is achieved through a variety of activities, which includes hosting student competitions, such as the 1L Closing Argument Competition and the 2L Mock Trial Competition, as well as through other events including educational seminars, guest speakers who are prominent jurists and trial lawyers within the community, and hosting social events focused on trials and the development of trial skills.

The Trial Ad Society also sends student teams to compete in both the National Trial Competition and the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition.

Legal skills training

In the first year of law school, NIU College of Law students take two full-year, required courses, Basic Legal Research and Legal Writing and Advocacy. The two courses employ coordinated, real-life exercises.

In Basic Legal Research, techniques of using both manual and computer-assisted legal research tools are taught. Beginning with analyzing a factual situation in order to develop a legal research strategy, students will learn how to locate and use secondary sources, case law, statutory and legislative history material, and administrative regulations.

In Legal Writing and Advocacy, students develop skills through a series of intensive writing exercises culminating in an oral argument.[14][15]

Clinics

Various clinical experiences are offered each semester at the Clinical Law Center on the DeKalb campus and the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rockford, IL. In addition, in April 2013 the College of Law announced a new clinical partnership with Hesed House and Aunt Martha's Health Center in Aurora, IL that will focus on the legal issues that may contribute to health problems in the area’s indigent population.[16]

At these clinics, students represent clients under the direction of well-qualified supervising attorneys. The clinical courses each have a classroom component in addition to the practice experience. They are taught by members of the College of Law faculty in conjunction with the supervising attorneys. These classes bring academic and practical worlds together, addressing a range of issues students experience in their cases, from honing legal skills, to exploring issues of substantive law and procedure, to considering real-world issues of professional responsibility and ethics.

Clinical opportunities

  • Civil Justice Clinic[17]
  • Juvenile Justice Clinic[18]
  • Foreclosure Mediation Clinic[19]
  • Health Advocacy Clinic[20]

Public interest service

In 2012, rankings released by National Jurist magazine recognized NIU College of Law as one of the top 20 law schools in the nation for students interested in pursuing careers in public service or public sector jobs.[21]

NIU Law has previously been ranked first in the nation for government placement according to U.S. News & World Report. Approximately one-third of its graduates choose a career in public interest, including 90 alumni in the judiciary. Since its inception, the college has had approximately 3,000 graduates.[22]

In 2001, the college received the Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award.[22]

Rankings

In 2014, Lawyers of Color ranked the NIU College of Law a top 5 Regional School for Latina/o Students in their Latina/o Students Guide to Law Schools 2015 publication.[23] Lawyers of Color also ranked NIU Law as a top 5 Regional School for Black Students in 2013.[24]

In 2013, Law School Transparency rated the employment prospects out of the NIU College of Law as the fifth best among Illinois law schools, beating Loyola University Chicago School of Law, DePaul University College of Law and the John Marshall Law School (Chicago).[25]

NIU College of Law was named as one of the top 50 most diverse law schools in the nation by National Jurist magazine in the publication’s “Most Diverse Law Schools” article from the November 2012 issue.[26]

PreLaw Magazine named the NIU College of Law to its 2012 list of "tuition winners" for keeping its cumulative tuition increase under $10,000 between 2000 and 2010. [27]

In 2010, National Jurist ranked the NIU College of Law as the 13th Best Value Law School in the nation considering such factors as bar passage rate, indebtedness at graduation, and employment rate.[28]

References

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  11. ↑ [1][dead link]
  12. ↑ [2][dead link]
  13. ↑ [3][dead link]
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ [4][dead link]
  18. ↑ [5][dead link]
  19. ↑ [6][dead link]
  20. ↑ [7][dead link]
  21. ↑ [8][dead link]
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 [9][dead link]
  23. ↑ [10][dead link]
  24. ↑ [11][dead link]
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ http://www.niu.edu/law/calendar/releases/archive/2012/most_diverse_dec12.shtml
  27. ↑ http://www.niu.edu/law/calendar/releases/archive/2012/tuition_winners_apr12.shtml
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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