University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
At UIC Law, our mission is to make a difference in the lives of our students and our community. From our nationally recognized programs and passionate professors to the impact of our Community Legal Clinics, we offer students more than just a legal education. We train them to develop multiple skill sets, master life-long learning, and cultivate a growth mindset.
UIC Law prioritizes skills training and values diversity and inclusiveness. We believe in strong academics and making sure students have strong professional development opportunities inside and outside the classroom. We’ve invested in a holistic office of student life and leadership, an excellent bar preparation program, robust career and professionalism support, and we’ve literally changed the campus to meet the needs of tomorrow’s lawyers. And as part of the University of Illinois Chicago—Chicago’s only public Carnegie Research 1 institution—our students have access to the resources and opportunities associated with a large, civic-minded university.
At UIC Law, we prepare our students with the knowledge, skills, experience, and values to change lives.
The JD Program
UIC Law’s Lawyering Skills Program, which provides foundational training in legal research, writing, advocacy, and legal drafting, has a national reputation for preparing graduates to be practice ready from their first day as an attorney. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the program in the top 10 in the nation nearly every year since its rankings began. The Law School also maintains national ratings and rankings in intellectual property law, and trial advocacy, as well as for its part-time program.
In Fall 2021, the Law School debuted a new first-year antiracist curriculum, through which the Law School’s core curriculum was enhanced with additional pedagogical training to prepare graduates with a better understanding of the comprehensive challenges their clients face. The curriculum is one of the most unique in the nation. Upper-division students choose electives from a catalog of more than 200 courses that explore an array of cutting-edge legal issues like Cyber Crime; Human Rights, Race & Mass Incarceration; Immigration Law & Procedure; Multinational Corporation Law; Natural Security Law; and Video Game Law, as well as traditional courses, including Bankruptcy Law, Employment Discrimination, Federal Courts, Health Law Labor Law, and White Collar Crime.
Student Life
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Tuition and Aid
Applicants are automatically considered for a full range of incoming student merit-based scholarships.
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
One of the first law schools to offer alternatives to the traditional full-time JD program, UIC Law provides students full-time, part-time day, or part-time evening degree tracks to earn their law degree. Students may shift flexibly among the program options.
UIC Law is also the only Chicago law school with January admission in addition to the traditional fall start. Applications for both terms are available beginning in September.
Spring Admission Priority Deadline: November 15
Fall Admission Priority Deadline: March 1
Admission to the Law School is based on evaluation of an applicant’s LSAT or GRE score, cumulative undergraduate GPA, and other relevant factors, including difficulty of undergraduate program, grade trends, postgraduate experience, leadership potential, business and professional background, quality of personal statement, writing skills, and letters of recommendation.
