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

Introduction

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.

Campus Diversity

The Law School has operated for more than 120 years on the principle that admission to law school should not be determined by race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We’re proud to have opened doors that would have otherwise been closed, and we remain dedicated to creating an inclusive campus community and diversifying the legal profession.

Our Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, along with other campus departments, engages the campus community through a number of initiatives, including inclusive classroom training, antiracism curriculum development, the Law School’s Antiracism Coordinating Committee, and the Diverse Alumni Legacy of Leadership Project. The Office also hosts annual campus-wide celebrations, like Diversity Week, and other academic-focused programs.

UIC Law is consistently recognized as one of the “Most Diverse Law Schools in the Nation” and a “Best Law School” for African American, Asian, and Hispanic students by preLaw magazine.A third of our students self-identify as minority students and more than a third of our faculty identify as professors of color. In 2016, the Law School was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.

Nationally Renowned Programs & Curriculum

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.

Experiential Learning Guaranteed

In addition to foundational courses and electives, all UIC Law students are required to fulfill their experiential learning credits in one of our Community Legal Clinics or 50+ externship placement sites. Working under the mentorship of a faculty member, practicing attorney, or judge, students train to help real people with real legal problems. Students can choose to fulfill their experiential learning requirement advocating for the rights of veterans, victims of housing discrimination or domestic violence, or by assisting emerging entrepreneurs and inventors.

The Law School’s Community Legal Clinics include:

Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic
Fair Housing Legal Clinic
International Human Rights Clinic
IP Patent Clinic
IP Trademark Clinic
Pro Bono Litigation Clinic
Veterans Legal Clinic

Admission

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.

Scholarships

Applicants are automatically considered for a full range of incoming student merit-based scholarships.

Faculty

UIC Law’s full-time faculty are recognized for their expertise and scholarship in disciplines as diverse as bankruptcy law, constitutional law, fair housing law, health law, intellectual property law, international human rights law, race and gender studies, and others. Many of our faculty members also serve as officers or in other leadership positions on American Bar Association and Association of American Law School section and division boards, with state and local bar associations, and leading legal writing associations.

We supplement instruction from our full-time faculty by drawing on the expertise of adjunct professors who bring practical advice and experience to the classroom. We’re proud of the fact that many of the adjunct professors who help teach and mentor our students are also our alumni.

JD Concentrations & Joint Degrees

Students have the option of earning a JD concentration to further distinguish their career paths. Concentrations are available in Criminal Law & Procedure; Critical Race & Gender Studies; Health Equity, Law & Policy; Intellectual Property Law; International Human Rights Law; Sustainability; and Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolution, and we’re continuing to develop additional concentrations that respond to needs in the legal market.

UIC Law is working with other UIC colleges to develop new interdisciplinary joint-degree, certificate, and other programs that capitalize on the University’s traditional strengths in health sciences, public administration, and business. In Fall 2021, UIC Law launched a JD/Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration and a campus-wide certificate program in Disability Legal Studies with the College of Applied Health Sciences. In addition to these new programs, the Law School is also developing a JD/MBA with the College of Business; JD/MPA, JD/MPP, and JD/MUPP programs with the College of Urban Planning and Public Administration; and continuing discussions on a JD/MSW program.

Honors Journals & Competition Teams

UIC Law offers students opportunities to distinguish themselves working on two honors journals or as part of two honors competition programs.

Established in 1966, UIC Law Review is one of the highest academic honors at the Law School. The Law Review publishes scholarly works on a broad range of legal topics written by legal scholars, practitioners, and members of the review.

Established in 2001 as one of the first online-only law journals, the UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law is a scholarly review dedicated to intellectual property law and privacy topics, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, as well as information policy, cyberspace governance, and privacy. It is routinely among the top-cited technology journals on the internet.

The Moot Court Honors Program offers students the opportunity to compete through written briefs and oral arguments at various subject-specific interscholastic moot court competitions across the country and the world.

Students involved with the Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolution Honors Board and Council compete in interscholastic trial, arbitration, negotiation, mediation, and client-counseling competitions throughout the country.

Career & Professionalism Support

Our Career Services Office (CSO) offers students one-on-one career counseling, resume and cover letter review, mock interview sessions, and other personal guidance to help students assess and further refine their career goals.

Additionally, our counselors present annual career development workshops and other programming, including the Alumni Mentor Program, networking receptions, and the On-Campus Interview (OCI) program.

Under the leadership of Associate Dean Margaret O’Mara Frossard, a former Illinois Appellate Court Justice, the Law School’s Office of Professionalism & Career Strategy works with the CSO to offer additional innovative opportunities to help students prepare for the legal workplace. Through a number of different programs, students have the opportunity to interact with experienced members of the legal community who share insights about resolving ethical challenges and how to distinguish themselves to employers. Graduating students participate in the Bridge-to-Practice Program to help them transition into the business of law and programs like the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program, which pairs experienced lawyers and new attorneys, provide support after graduation.

Louis L. Biro Law Library

Occupying three floors of the Law School, the Louis L. Biro Law Library offers access to a full spectrum of legal databases and research services, including free access to online subscription services like Hein Online, Lexis, Bloomberg, and numerous specialty databases, as well as individual and group study rooms. Our professional librarians—all of whom have advanced degrees in both law and library science—are available to provide practical assistance to make sure you find what you need.

Collaboration Commons

In Fall 2019, we unveiled our new Collaboration Commons, dedicated to helping students enhance their legal studies and hone important skills. The Collaboration Commons features a range of customizable work and study spaces, including study rooms designed for student groups; meeting booths; an idea bar; and café-style seating. All spaces have floor-to-ceiling whiteboards and computer monitors that offer students the flexibility to work together on documents or communicate with classmates in other locations.