Law School Profile
Northern Illinois University College of Law By Teresa Cajot Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law, located in the rural area of DeKalb, Illinois, is an ABA approved law school with JD and concurrent enrollment degree options. Founded in 1975, the law school is the only public law school in the greater Chicago area.
The school boasts a community-centered learning environment that offers an expansive view of the law through its program and skill development offerings. Northern Illinois University College of Law was initially established as the Lewis University College of Law in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. In 1979, the law school joined Northern Illinois University and in 1982 it moved to its current DeKalb campus location. Today the school maintains an enrollment of about 300 students.
Clinical offerings, which are available through the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic, vary by semester but have included the Domestic Abuse Clinic, the Elder Law Clinic, and the Mediation Clinic. Each clinical course involves a classroom element and prerequisites such as Professional Responsibility, Lawyering Skills, and the completion of the 711 License Applications. The law school offers the following externships: the Appellate Defender Externship, the Civil Externship, the Criminal Externship, and the Judicial Externship.
The school publishes the Northern University Law Review, a student edited journal three times per year. The Review staff consists of as many as 25 second-and third-year students. Other student run organizations include the Moot Court Society and the Trial Advocacy Society, which is dedicated to the creation of persuasive trial lawyers.
Additionally, students can participate in the Agen, France study abroad program, which offers the opportunity to study law in the European fashion. The program focuses on international and comparative law and is offered through the cooperation of the law school faculty at the University of Bordeaux-Montesquieu IV.
Additionally, Northern Illinois University College of Law is home to more than 20 student organizations including the International Law Society, the Public Interest Law Society, StreetLaw, the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Amnesty International, the Gay-Straight Alliance, and the Federalist Society.
Through its Career Services Office, the law school provides students, alumni, and employers with a range of career assistance including job, judicial clerkship, and internship
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