LAWCROSSING
THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LAW SCHOOL PROFILE
www.lawcrossing.com
1. 800.973.1177
Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Highland Heights, Kentucky [By Akbar Ali] Founded in 1973 and located at the academic crossroads connecting Northern Kentucky, Southwestern Ohio, and Southeastern Indiana, Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law prides itself on not only providing its students with a quality law education but also giving them the opportunity to engage in a developing urban cultural environment that is not New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.
Comprising the benefits of both urban and
encompasses the following courses and
business classes, completing law classes
suburban communities in Highland Heights,
corresponding credit hours: Introduction to
during the remaining three years.
Kentucky, Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Legal Studies (1), Basic Legal Skills I (2), Civil
encompasses a wide array of students from
Procedure I (3), Contracts I (3), Property I (3),
The school also offers two specialty programs
diverse academic backgrounds pursuing
and Torts I (3). The spring semester includes
for students with specific career goals, the
traditional Juris Doctor degrees. An alternative
Basic Legal Skills II (3), Civil Procedure II (3),
Employment and Labor Law Concentration
J.D./M.B.A. program is available for students
Contracts II (3), Property II (3), and Torts II (3).
Program and the Intellectual Property
who wish to work in the increasing number
Program. Students in the Intellectual Property
of professional environments where law and
The second year’s fall semester features
Law Program frequently go on to become
business overlap.
Constitutional Law I (3), Criminal Law (3), and
patent prosecution attorneys, copyright and
core and elective courses. The spring semester
trademark attorneys, and intellectual property
Students have the option of attending law
entails Constitutional Law II (3) and core and
litigators.
school full-time or part-time. The full-time
elective courses. The third year is made up
program includes six semesters of courses
entirely of core and elective courses.
The school also offers the following
taken over three years, beginning in August
internships, externships, and seminars
of the first year and ending in May of the third
for students to earn credits and learn the
year. The typical course load is between 12
intricacies of various law specialties: the Tax
and 16 credit hours per semester, with classes
Externship, Local Government Law Center
meeting five days a week during the first
Internship, Kentucky Innocence Project
year. Students enrolled full-time are strongly
Externship, NKU Chase Federal Trail Practice Seminar, Constitutional Law Clinic Externship,
encouraged not to work, though they may elect to spend a maximum of 20 hours per week
Part-time class schedules are similar, with
working outside of law school.
fewer classes per semester and additional
and Children’s Law Center Externship.
core and elective courses offered in the first
Current enrollment at Chase College of Law
Part-time students take an additional year
two summer sessions. The third and fourth
totals 524, with a student-faculty ratio of 15:1.
to complete their degrees, enrolling in at
years are dedicated to core and elective
The average LSAT score and GPA for the
least two summer semesters in addition to
courses. Both full- and part-time students
2006-2007 entering class were 155 and 3.36
four regular semesters over four years. The
must also successfully complete the following
respectively. Out of the total 991 applications
course load for part-time students averages
courses: Criminal Procedure (3), Evidence (4),
received, 204 students were enrolled.
to between eight and 11 credits per semester,
and Professional Responsibility (3).
The school’s first-time bar exam passage rate is 74%, with 92% of graduates finding
with three to six credits taken during the summer sessions. Evening classes are also
The J.D./M.B.A. program is set up so that
employment within six months of earning their
available, with classes during the first two
the number of hours necessary to complete
degrees. The reported average starting salary
years scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and
both degrees simultaneously is less than the
is $54,463.
Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
number of hours required to complete both degrees separately. The dual degree program
Tuition rates vary quite a bit depending on
The school adheres to a long-standing list
consists of a total of 108 semester hours, 30
where the student comes from: out-of-state
of course requirements. For full-time J.D.
allocated for business and 78 for law. Students
tuition runs to $13,272 per full-time semester
candidates, the first year’s fall semester
in this program are advised to begin with
and $1,106 per credit hour for part-time
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LAWCROSSING
THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LAW SCHOOL PROFILE
www.lawcrossing.com
1. 800.973.1177
students, while Kentucky residents pay $6,084
Every year the law school sponsors a
conservative political pundit Tucker Carlson
per full-time semester and $507 per part-time
number of speaker series open to both
(2006).
credit hour. The school also applies “metro
students and the public, including the
rates� to students from neighboring counties
Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, the Military
in Ohio and Indiana. Metro rates run to $10,020
History Lecture Series, and the NKU Alumni
per semester for full-time students and $835
Lecture Series. Past speakers have included
Salmon P. Chase College of Law
per credit hour for part-time students. In order
former Republican presidential nominee
chaselaw.nku.edu
for students to qualify for the metro rates, they
and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and
must be permanent residents of one of the
former Democratic presidential nominee
following Ohio and Indiana counties: Adams,
and U.S. Senator George McGovern (2004),
Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Fayette,
former democratic vice presidential nominee
Hamilton, Highland, and Warren (Ohio) and
John Edwards and President and CEO of
Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley,
Forbes Inc. Steve Forbes (2005), and current
and Switzerland (Indiana).
Minnesota senatorial candidate Al Franken and
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