Jump to content

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

Add links
Coordinates: 41°52′40″N 87°37′42″W / 41.8778°N 87.6284°W / 41.8778; -87.6284
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with University of Illinois College of Law.

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Parent schoolUniversity of Illinois Chicago
Established1899; 125 years ago (1899)
School typePublic law school
DeanNicky Boothe
LocationChicago, Illinois, United States
41°52′40″N 87°37′42″W / 41.8778°N 87.6284°W / 41.8778; -87.6284
Enrollment987 (Fall 2023)[1]
Faculty48 full-time; 140 part-time
(Fall 2022)[1]
USNWR ranking161st (2024)[2]
Bar pass rate59.19% (2023; first-time takers)[3]
Websitelaw.uic.edu

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (UIC Law) is the law school of the University of Illinois Chicago, a public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1899, it became affiliated with the university in 2019. The school offers programs for both part-time and full-time students, with both day and night classes available, and offers January enrollment.

History

[edit]

UIC Law was founded in 1899 as the John Marshall Law School and initially accredited by the American Bar Association in 1951. It merged with the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019, becoming the UIC John Marshall Law School.[4] On May 20, 2021, following review by a university task force, the school announced its official change of name to University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, effective July 1.[5] The board of trustees acknowledged that "newly discovered research",[6] uncovered by historian Paul Finkelman,[7] had revealed that influential 19th century U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall was a slave trader and owner who practiced "pro-slavery jurisprudence", which was deemed inappropriate for the school's namesake.[6]

UIC Law is located in Chicago's central financial and legal district, most commonly known as The Loop. It is across the street from the Dirksen Federal Building, which houses the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and about four blocks from the Daley Center, which houses the Circuit Court of Cook County. It is also next door to the Chicago Bar Association.

Admissions and costs

[edit]

For the class entering in 2023, UIC Law accepted 69.53% of applicants, with 27.96% of those accepted enrolling. The average enrollee had a 152 LSAT score and 3.39 undergraduate GPA.[1] Tuition and fees at UIC Law for the 2020-2021 academic year is $39,014 for Illinois residents and $48,014 for out of state residents.[8]

Academics

[edit]
The former name, John Marshall Law School

Curriculum

[edit]

UIC Law has day and evening divisions, with identical instruction, course content, and scholastic requirements. Lawyering Skills courses, which focus on writing, research, and oral argument, are an integral part of the core curriculum. These courses are taught in small groups, to maximize the individual attention given to each student. A student may earn a J.D. certificate in a certain area of the law or focus more emphatically and earn a joint degree (J.D./LL.M.).

The law school also offers Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.) programs for practicing attorneys and non-attorney professionals and other individual students.

UIC School of Law offers seven Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs for attorneys seeking specialized education in legal issues and for current J.D. students who would like the maximum concentration in particular areas of the law. UIC Law offers a comprehensive curriculum in the following areas: Employee Benefits Law, Estate Planning, Information Technology and Privacy Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Business and Trade Law, Real Estate Law, and Tax Law.

Journals and organizations

[edit]

There are four honors programs: UIC Law Review, UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law ("RIPL"), the Moot Court Honors Program, and the Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolution Honors Program.[9] UIC Law sends teams to more than 30 moot court and mock trial competitions annually.

The student community at UIC Law includes more than 50 student organizations engaging in social awareness, community service, legal discussions, and social activities.

Clinics

[edit]

UIC Law students are required to earn three experiential learning credits – working in a clinic, externship, or a combination of both – in order to graduate. The law school offers students practical opportunities through its seven Community Legal Clinics and more than 50 externship placement sites. Clinics include the Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic, Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic, International Human Rights Clinic, USPTO-certified IP Patent Clinic, USPTO-certified IP Trademark Clinic, Pro Bono Litigation Clinic, and the Veterans Legal Clinic. Externship opportunities include judicial, governmental, and non-profit placements, as well as a Semester-in-Practice program that allows JD students to earn a semester of credit hours immersed in a legal market outside of Chicago.

[edit]

The Global Legal Skills Conference Series was founded in 2005 as a forum for professors who teach Legal English and international legal skills to exchange information on teaching techniques and materials.[10] The conference connects legal writing professionals and other professors who have an interest in teaching international students and lawyers who speak English as a second language.[11] Since its inception, the Global Legal Skills Conference has been held four times in Chicago, once in Washington, D.C., twice in Mexico, twice in Costa Rica, and twice in Italy.[12] The conference now also includes presentations of GLS Awards for individual achievement, institutional vision, and outstanding publications.[13][14]

Library

[edit]

The Louis L. Biro Law Library occupies the 6th – 10th floors of the law school's State Street building. A team of professional librarians and staff members work to serve the students during the 96 hours/week that the library is open. The library holds over 263,003 volumes and microform equivalents and provides on-campus and remote access to some of those titles via their specialty electronic databases. It is continually adding more online subscriptions to its growing collection of electronic resources, including Lexis, Westlaw, CALI Lessons, BNA Premier, IICLE SmartBooks, Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law Online, Justis International Law Reports, Courtroom View Network, which contains audio versions of law school casebooks and streaming trial videos, and Mango languages, an easy to follow system for learning over 20 different languages.

Students have wireless access throughout the law school and the library offers seating for 750, including twelve group study rooms. In addition to supporting the research & instructional needs of the students, faculty & staff of the law school, the library is also open to law school alumni and members of the Chicago Bar Association, whose headquarters building is next door.

Bar examination passage

[edit]

In 2023, the overall bar examination passage rate for the law school's first-time examination takers was 59.19%. The average first-time pass rate for ABA accredited schools was 78.14%. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate for the school, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 80.51% for the class of 2021.[15]

Employment

[edit]

According to the schools's official ABA-required disclosures for 2023 graduates, within ten months after graduation 196 (67.59%) of the 290 member graduating class were employed in full-time positions requiring bar passage (i.e. as attorneys) and 17 (5.86%) were employed in full-time JD advantage positions. Attorney positions were in various size law firms, most being in 1-10 attorney firms but included firms up to 501+ attorneys, ten graduates obtained local or state judicial clerkships and four obtained federal clerkships. 75 members of the class were otherwise employed in public interest, government, higher education, or business. 72 members (24.83%) of the class were unemployed or employed short–term or part–time.[16]

Rankings and reputation

[edit]

In the 2024 U.S. News & World Report ranking, the school was ranked 161st in the country out of 196 schools (bottom 18%).[2]

Notable alumni and faculty

[edit]

Alumni

[edit]

Faculty

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "2023 Standard 509 Information Report - University of Illinois Chicago School of Law". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "2024 Best Law Schools". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Bar Passage Information". law.uic.edu. University of Illinois Chicago. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Armentrout, Mitchell (July 19, 2018). "John Marshall merging into UIC for city's first public law school". Chicago Sun-Times.
  5. ^ "UIC Removes John Marshall's Name From Law School Due to Slave Ownership". NBC Chicago. May 23, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "UIC renaming John Marshall Law School" by Stefano Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times, May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Editorial: A law school discounts John Marshall’s positive legacy" Chicago Tribune, May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "University of Illinois--Chicago (John Marshall)". U.S. News & World Report - Best Law Schools. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolutions Honors Board and Council". law.uic.edu.
  10. ^ "Global Legal Skills Conference". Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  11. ^ "Global Legal Skills Conference".
  12. ^ "Global Legal Skills Conference".
  13. ^ "Global Legal Skills Conference".
  14. ^ Awards and Prizes, Chronicle of Higher Education, Mar. 25, 2016, at A33.
  15. ^ "| Bar Passage". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  16. ^ "University of Illinois Chicago School of Law Employment Summary 2023 Graduates". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  17. ^ "Leading the Way in Intellectual Property Legal Education Commerce Secretary". The John Marshall Law School. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  18. ^ "Bellino Making Calls for the Major League | UIC JMLS News and Publications". news.jmls.uic.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c "Board of Trustees". The John Marshall Law School. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  20. ^ "And Then There Were Three | Illinois State Bar Association". www.isba.org. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "William M. DaleyCommerce Secretary". Washington Post. December 15, 1999. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  22. ^ Heise, Kenan (January 19, 1988). "Chuancey Eskridge, 70, close ally of Rev. King". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  23. ^ "Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald passes away | Illinois State Bar Association".
  24. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book1977-1978,' Biographical Sketch of Michael Holewinski, pg. 100
  25. ^ "Judge Cheryl Johnson". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  26. ^ "Senate Confirms Nominations Of Four Illinois District Judges". RiverBender.com. September 17, 2020.
  27. ^ "Illinois Blue Book". 1925.
  28. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1985–1986,' Biographical Sketch of LeRoy Walter Lemke, pg. 87
  29. ^ "Juliana Stratton, Lt. Governor".
  30. ^ "The Girls of Murder City". Chicago magazine. Retrieved January 15, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  31. ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  32. ^ "Wendt Playlot Park". Chicago Park District. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  33. ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography".
  34. ^ Thomas Bruno, Elmer Gertz Award, Human Rights, vol. 40, no. 1, at 7 (Newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association Section on Human Rights).
  35. ^ Groff, Emily (2009). "Matthew Prince '96". The Trinity Reporter. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Illinois_Chicago_School_of_Law&oldid=1257977391"