Northern Illinois University — College of Law

Northern Illinois University College of

Law

A Rigorous Legal Education in a Supportive Community Committed to Your Success.

A Message from Dean Cassandra L. Hill

Welcome to NIU Law!

I’m g lad you’re t ak ing t he time to ex plore t he excellent opport un ities t hat ou r school prov ides. Ou r top prior it y at NI U Law is st udent success. To ensu re t hat ou r st udents a re prepared to be e e ctive a nd creative law yers immed iately upon g raduation, we i nteg rate instruction i n practica l lawyer ing ski lls t hroughout the curricu lu m. We provide a var iet y of ex ternsh ips a nd vigorous clinica l oppor tunities that ser ve com mu nities

wit h fac ulty. We t ake pride in ou r fac ulty ’s accessibi lit y to st udents and t heir persona l at tention to you r professiona l development.

Second, beyond t he rigor of the cla ssroom, you w il l have ma ny oppor tunities to develop you r ski lls t hroug h handson lea rning oppor tunities. You w il l get to par ticipate in a n excellent ski lls program wit h a n a rray of simulation courses i n which you’ll develop the basic skill set for good law yering. Beyond t hat, ever yone par ticipates in at least one clinic or ex ternsh ip opport un it y t hat a llows you to put what you’ve lea rned in cla ss i nto practice in t he rea l world

Third, we bel ieve in d iversity, equit y a nd inclu sion. Our diversit y enr iches t he classroom lea rning exper ience, streng thens ou r curricu lu m and prepa res ou r st udents for practice i n a r ichly d iverse region a nd nation.

Al l of these oppor tunities bui ld to one centra l goa l: t he success of ever y g raduate, no mat ter what c areer pat h you choose. r v iewbook you w il l t ake t he time now our law school, ou r u niversit y . We a re excited to help you define a nd ay to you r success

Ca ssandra L . Hil l Dea n a nd P rofessor of L aw Nort her n Illinois Universit y

Dedicated to Putting You First

With faculty dedicated to putting you first, our rigorous curriculum is designed to equip you for success in law school, the bar exam and your professional endeavors.

Small by desig n, N IU Law o ers you a unique opport unit y to lea r n a nd interact in a n intimate, colleg ia l set ting. We pride ourselves on our closek nit academic com munity, which a llows you more direct contact w ith faculty and classmates –building close persona l a nd professiona l relationships that w ill last well beyond graduation a nd throughout your career.

Our excellent student/teacher ratio of 7.4 -to-1 allows for broader a nd livelier class discussions, mentor ing oppor tunities a nd class simulations. The sma ller classes at N IU Law a lso facilitate comprehensive a nd immediate feedback, o ce discussions w ith facult y a nd hands-on lea rning throug hout the law school curricu lum. In addition, our sma ll size a lso a llows us to provide you a n exceptiona l skills tra ining program, opport unities for clinics a nd exter nships, a nd a proven bar exam prepa ration program.

“NIU Law is a very collegial community both for its students and faculty. There is a familiar interaction between students and faculty that resonates in the small class sizes. It is a highly supportive environment where a win for a faculty member or a student is a success for the entire school.”

Yolanda M. King, Associate Dean for Academic A airs and Associate Professor of Law

First Year: Small Sections and Individualized Attention

Our innovative first-yea r curriculum includes sma ll sections to permit more feedback and interaction with faculty — something that is rarely found in law schools. The required first-yea r student curriculum is designed to ensure the development of a fundamental understanding of the law, legal analysis and the lega l process. It provides the basic building blocks of a rewarding professiona l career.

A sta ndard feature of many law schools is to g rade st udents based solely on one fina l examination. At NIU Law, students have a midter m in a ll of their first-yea r classes. This a llows students to receive feedback and f ur ther develop their skills before they take their fina l examinations.

Upper-level Curriculum: Practical Skills Training and Specialization

Our core curriculum provides you with a solid foundation in legal studies. From there, you’ll have substantial autonomy in pursuing your J.D. degree. Students wanting to focus on specific areas may pursue certificates in six specialized areas of law or apply for admission to a dual-degree program. Regardless of whether you choose to concentrate your studies in a specific area of law, all of our law students develop essential practice skills through our extensive skills training prog ram.

Practical Skills Prog ram

In addition to taking traditional law school classes, our upperlevel curriculum features an excellent skills program for handson learning. Our skills training courses and experiential learning opportunities provide you with the practical skills you’ll need to begin your career. Our practical skills training prog ram includes skills training courses, externships and legal clinics.

Skills Courses

Advanced Trial Advocacy

Appellate Advocacy

Criminal Practice Skills

Introduction to

Lawyering Skills

Mediation Theory and Practice

Mock Trial Competitions

Moot Court Competitions

Trial Advocacy

Legal Clinics

Civil Justice Clinic

Criminal Defense Clinic

Health Advocacy Clinic

Business Law Innovation Clinic

Externships

Bridge to Practice Externship

Civil Externship

Criminal Law Externship

Huskie Athletics Externship

Judicial Externship

Prisoners’ Rights Project

Skills Training Courses

Our skills tra ining courses simulate practice in today ’s legal world of both traditional cour troom litigation as well as alternative dispute resolution. In our Introduction to Law yering Skills course, you w ill be immersed in the simulated representation of a client from the day the client first walks into the attorney’s o ce up to a pretrial settlement conference. You’ll prepare many of the written documents that confront the practitioner including pleadings, w ritten discovery, motions, settlement agreements,

and client correspondence. You’ll also engage in a variety of simulated exercises that are video recorded for critique by the instructor in one-on-one student-teacher consultations.

Ex ternship s

Our externships allow you to gain practica l experience under the superv ision of a practicing law yer or judge and w ith the g uidance of a knowledgeable faculty member. Our Crimina l Law Externships place students in either State’s Attorney or Public Defender O ces, where you’ll get actua l courtroom experience.

Examples of Civil E xternships include working for Pra irie State Legal Ser vices, the federal EPA , cit y attorney o ces and other governmental o ces.

Prisoners’ Rights Project

Over the course of t wo semesters, third-yea r students represent prisoners in federal court who have alleged that their constitutional rights have been violated. Each case is chosen with the expectation that it will culminate in a federal jur y tria l where the students w ill be lead counsel.

“Throughout my 33-year career, my NIU legal education has given me the foundation to help build and refine the skills necessary to be an e ective corporate lawyer. My professors prepared me for the challenges I would face on the job, focusing on developing the critical thought processes necessary to work through and resolve legal issues, developing positive working relationships with internal clients and shaping topnotch negotiation skills.”

Wes Blumenshine, Legal Counsel, Caterpillar Inc. (Class of 1986)

Legal Clinics

We o er four clinics that a llow you to develop practice skills while ser ving your communities. Students participating in these clinics learn to be professiona lly responsible and reflective law yers capable of quality representation in a diverse and changing world. You’ll gather these skills while providing, under direct faculty superv ision, high-qualit y lega l ser vices to persons w ith other wise limited access to lega l representation.

Our lega l clinics f ur ther reinforce our commitment to communit y engagement. Through such partnerships, we have the oppor tunit y to model the value of using your lega l skills to meaning fully assist members of the community.

The Civil Justice Clinic Rock ford, Illinois

Located in the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rock ford, the goal of the Civil Justice Clinic is to provide holistic services to the clinic’s clients. The clinic prioritizes the needs of low-income senior citizens and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Students perform critical legal work such as drafting estate planning documents and representing clients in civil matters involving orders of protection, elder abuse cases, domestic violencerelated family law, small claims and probate issues

Business Law Innovation Clinic DeKalb, Illinois

The Business Law Innovation Clinic provides students with experience handling a variet y of business law matters on behalf of nonprofit entities, underserved entrepreneurs, and small businesses in DeKalb County and the surrounding areas. Students are expected to gain transactional experience and develop interviewing, client counseling and client development skills, as well as relationship-building habits with clients. Students also gain experience and develop negotiation skills by representing clients in business law matters including Business Enterprise Certifications and trademark registration

The Criminal Defense Clinic Rock ford, Illinois

Students in the Criminal Defense Clinic represent adults charged in criminal matters. The o enses will typically be misdemeanor o enses or major tra c o enses. In addition, students represent individuals in petitioning for their removal from the sex o ender registry as a result of juvenile sex o ense adjudications. The clinic provides a holistic approach to representation in addressing underlying causes of criminal behavior such as mental health or substance abuse issues . The Criminal Defense Clinic is located at our Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rock ford

The Health Advocacy Clinic Aurora , Illinois

The Health Ad vocacy Clinic focuses on legal issues that contribu te to health problems in indigent populations. This clinic is part of a partnership between NI U Law, Aunt Martha’s Health Center, and Hesed House Shelter and Transitional Living Communit y. Students provide legal representation to clients , who are re ceiving health -related services from Aunt Martha’s , in order to address socio-enviro nmental barriers a ecting their health and stability.

NIU Law

“The clinical experience is an invaluable experiential learning opportunity that helps prepare students to practice. Many of these students will be interested in criminal law, disability benefits or family law, and they can leverage the skills they have learned in these clinics when they are seeking employment and throughout their careers.”

Anita Ortiz Maddali, Associate Dean for Student A airs, Director of Clinics and Associate Professor of Law

“Criminal defendants are among those least regarded in society, and even in the legal system. Students have the opportunity to vigorously defend the constitutional rights of defendants, protect them from the power of the state and see that they obtain justice.”

Paul Cain, Director of Criminal Defense Clinic and Clinical Professor

J.D. Certificates

You may f ur ther personalize your curricu lum by pursuing one of our si x J.D. certificates. Our certificates capitalize on facult y exper tise to enable you to focus on specialized a rea s of the law that a lig n w ith your career pursuits. This focused tra ining a lso heightens your v isibilit y with prospective employers in the field. N IU L aw o ers certificates in Business Law, Civ il Advocacy, Cr imina l Practice, Inter nationa l Law, Law a nd Gender Studies, a nd P ublic Interest Law

Business Law

Certificate

Civil Advocacy

Certificate

Criminal Practice

Certificate

International Law

Certificate

Law and Gender Studies Certificate

Public Interest Law

Certificate

“I came to NIU Law because of its strong public service orientation. I feel it is a lawyer ’s responsibility to give back to his community and I work to instill this value in my students, encouraging them to always make the time to give back. The practice of law is truly a calling and I’ve found that using your legal skills to benefit society makes it all worthwhile.”

Marc Falko , Professor of Law and principal lawyer in the habeas representation of prisoners being held by the U.S. military at Guantánamo Bay.

“My favorite law class has been Civil Procedure with Professor Jones. That class was the first step into what the law entails. I found the course to be extremely interesting in part, because Professor Jones created the most e cient and fun way of learning the subject.”

Adedayo Oladele-Ajose, Third-Year Law Student

Comm it ted to Your Ca reer Succ ess

Dual Degree Programs

Pa rtnering with our nationally recognized College of Bu siness and Depa rtment of Public Administration, these dual-deg ree prog ra ms permit you to ea rn either your M.B. A. or your M.P. A. degree along with the J.D. degree at less cost and in less time than it would ta ke to ea rn both degrees sepa rately.

Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administ ration

NIU Law and our College of Bu siness o er a simu ltaneous enrollment option, wh ich permits you to ea rn our J.D. and M.B. A. more qu ickly and econom ically. Whether you plan to pursue a ca reer in law or as a business leader, your J.D./M.B.A . will distinguish you from other job applicants and prov ide you with the sk ills to excel in your chosen field.

NIU’s M.B. A. prog ra m is ra nked among the nation’s best by U. S. Ne ws & World Report and is accred ited by the A ssociation to Adva nce Colleg iate Schools of Business.

“The dual degree program allows me to work collaboratively with my passions of law and business. I am able to cross-reference courses to better understand the whole concept which contributes significantly to my analytical skills.”

Carletta Sanders, Class of 2022

Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administ ration

NIU Law and our Depa rtment of Public Administration o er you a unique opport unit y to complete your J.D. and Ma ster of Public Administration in under four years. The mission of the Depa rtment of Public Administration is to streng then the knowledge and sk ills necessar y for nonprofit ma nagement throug h schola rship in teaching , research and serv ice. Graduates of the prog ra m have excellent ca reer prospects with career opport unities in federa l, state and loca l government, as well as in the pr ivate and nonprofit sectors.

Colleen Boraca directs NIU’s Health Advocacy Clinic in Aurora, Illinois. The clinic is an interdisciplinary partnership between NIU College of Law, Hesed House and Aunt Martha’s Health Center

Her areas of expertise are: Poverty law, HIV/AIDS law, and mental health law.

Colleen Boraca Clinical Associate Professor

Expert Facult y Members Who Invest in Your Success

We boast a n exper ienced, st udent-centered facult y dedicated to the development of practiceready law yers a nd to your overa ll success. Our facult y bring a broad range of professiona l ex perience to the classroom. T hey have worked in large and sma ll law firms, in federa l and state

prosecutors’ o ces, as public defenders, and as lawyers for the SEC and labor unions. Faculty at N IU Law invest sig ni ficant time cultivating st udent success by pla nning innovative lea rning methods, engag ing students and providing individualized attention.

Career Opportunities and Strong Outcomes

Whether in a corporate boardroom or a courtroom; on the bench; in a government agency or in public se rvice organizations, NIU Law graduates can be found in all fields of legal practice and working all across the country.

The excellent education you w ill receive at N IU Law is not a n end in itself but is desig ned to launch you on a successf ul career path. In order to achieve this, we provide a var iet y of oppor tunities and programs focused on prepa ring you for the ba r exam. T hese e orts include a n Academic Success Program, a specia l Ba r Funda ment als course in your fina l semester at the school and a post-g raduation bar preparation progra m in the months immediately before the exam.

Employment by Job Ty pe

Thoug h the largest number of our g raduates enter pr ivate practice, NIU Law ha s gained prominence a s a public interest/government practice law school. Ou r Career Oppor tunities O ce has successf ully counseled a nd placed a large number of assistant state’s attor neys and public defenders, for which N IU L aw ha s received nationa l recognition.

Based on the most recent data available and as reported to the National Association for Law Placement 10 months af ter graduation

89.7

Comm

ted to You r Career Success

Career Oppor tunities O ce: Highly Personalized Advising

College of Law 14

Law Career Services

One-on-one career counseling

Résumé and cover letter preparation

Job search strategies

Mentoring programs

Interviewing skills

Networking events

Job postings

work ing w it h you to prov ide g uida nce, support and a ssistance w it h employ ment placement

The O ce of Career

Opport un ities a nd Professiona l Development work s w it h the A lu mn i A ssociation to coord inate socia l receptions a nd speak ing engagement s to facilitate the net work ing oppor tunities for our st udents ever y yea r.

Diversit y and Inclusion at NIU College of Law

Northern Illinois Universit y College of Law is strong ly com mitted to facilitating access to the lega l profession for members of traditionally underrepresented g roups. St udents of a ll races, ethnicities, relig ions a nd backg rounds a re welcomed at N IU L aw. A mong our goa ls a re to

counter the e ects of societa l discr imination, to increase the number of law yers who w ill ser ve in communities that a re cur rently underserved, a nd to obtain for our students the educationa l benefit s that flow f rom a diverse facult y a nd student body.

A Vibrant University Communit y with Chicago Connections

NIU Law is located in DeKalb, a community located a little more than one hour west of Chicago. DeKalb is close enough to the Chicago metropolitan area to draw on the city’s many resources while retaining a small college town feel.

DeKalb is a safe and a ordable environment with a high quality of life. The Northern Illinois University main campus is set on 765 acres of rolling country land, featuring two lagoons, several museums and a broad variety of cultural opportunities. The campus provides a rich array of culture for the university community including concerts — both musical and dance — art exhibitions, plays, speakers, and events that celebrate U.S. and global diversity.

65 MILES FROM CHICAGO

NIU Law students enjoy the benefit s of being a ssociated w ith a large, nationally recog nized universit y. You’ll be provided the oppor tunit y to pursue dua l deg ree programs such a s our J.D./M.B.A . a nd J.D./ M.P. A., take graduate courses in other disciplines releva nt to your lega l studies a nd engage w ith the v ibra nt intellectua l life of a world-class universit y.

Proximit y to Chicago

Given our school’s com fortable distance f rom Chicago, one of the nation’s largest lega l markets, ma ny students capitalize on oppor tunities that close proximit y to the cit y a ords. During your second a nd third yea rs, you’ll have a n opport unit y to engage in a r ich var iet y of legal ex ternships, inter nships a nd paid professiona l positions w ith both private a nd gover nment employers in a nd a round the g reater Chicago a rea . A nd w ith a large percentage of N IU L aw alumni working in the cit y, there is a sig ni ficant network pipeline between those building a nd those who have built their careers in such a thriving professiona l marketplace.

Chicago a nd its adjoi ning a rea a re a lso home to numerous recreationa l, enter tain ment and cultura l o erings including world-cla ss museums, major league sports teams a nd music venues.

“I chose NIU Law because of the wealth of opportunities not only in the city of Chicago, but also in the surrounding suburbs.”

Cristina Sandoval Second-Year Law Student

Student Life

We recog ni ze that for you to persevere t hrough rigorous academic programs, you must balance you r persona l life by tak ing c are of you rsel f and you r family. A s a large and d iverse campus, we o er more to you tha n just a n academic educ ation. A var iet y of activ ities a re ava ilable for you to enjoy i ncluding f ree music a nd fi ne a rt s perfor ma nces, a r t ex hibits, lectu res, recreational opport un ities, museu ms a nd gal leries.

A complete range of ser vices is also availabl you including comprehensive hea lth care, pe counseling, child care, and career planning. A b system operates throughout the campus an communit y, allow ing you to live or shop in o communit y while maintaining easy access to c

The greater NIU communit y provides the c and recreationa l oppor tunities as well a s t suppor t ser vices that a ll of our students need in order to focus on their academics.

St udent Organizations

Outside of the classr oom, our student-led organizations provide suppor t, raise awareness, encourage discussions and promote open communication around legal topics of interest for you. Participation in student organizations is an integral part of the NIU Law student experience. Some activities sponso red by student organizations — such as Casino Night, the Public Interest Law Society Auction and Barrister’s Ball — have become signific ant law school traditions .

Representative Student-led Organizations

•American Constitution Societ y

•Black Law Students Association

•Business Law Society

•Christian Legal Societ y

•Criminal Law Society

•Delta Theta Phi

•Environmental Law Societ y

•Family Law Societ y

•Federalist Society

•Federal Agency Interest Societ y

•Gender-Sexualities Alliance

•Illinois State Bar Association

•International Law Students Association

•Juvenile and Family Law Association

•L abor and Employment Law Societ y

•L atinx Law Student Association

•L aw Review

•Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association

•Moot Court Societ y

•Muslim Law Students Association

•Parents and Caregivers Attending Law School

•Phi Alpha Delta

•Professionalism and Ethics Societ y

•Public Interest Law Societ y

•Sports and Entertainment Law Societ y

•Student Animal Legal Defense Fund

•Student Bar Associatio n

•Student Intellec tual Property Law Association

•Trial Ad vocacy Society

•Tor t Law Societ y

•Women’s Law Caucus

A n A ordable High-qualit y Education

We o er an exceptional combination of high-quality education , excellent outcomes and a ordable costs .

Our tuition and fees are now the same for both Illinois and out- ofstate U. S. residents making our school an excellent choice for those from other states . Importantly, our students graduate with a debt load substantially below national and state averages.

Financial Aid

Scholarships

We provide a range of fina ncia l a ssistance for you in the for m of loa ns, tuition waivers and scholarships. A ll admit ted students a re automatica lly considered for available mer it schola rships a nd t uition waivers.

Ma ny of our students a lso apply for a nd receive private scholarships, a nd enter w riting competitions publicized weekly throug h school correspondence w ithin the N IU Law com munity.

Graduate Assistant Tuition Waivers

In addition, a number of our second- a nd thirdyea r students have sig ni ficantly def rayed the cost of their law school education by securing graduate a ssista ntships at the law school a nd in va rious other schools a nd depar tments across the g reater N IU com munity. Graduate a ssista nts work in depar tments such a s St udents’ Leg al Serv ices, the O ce of Genera l Counsel, the O ce of the Ombudsperson, the College of Education, and the College of Business. Most g raduate assistant positions carr y a f ull t uition waiver a nd a stipend to o set liv ing expenses.

In addition, resea rch a ssista nts work w ith law facult y engaged in scholarly pursuits. They build impor tant relationships w ith members of the lega l com munit y a nd hone their resea rch and w riting skills while receiving a par tia l tuition waiver.

Northern Illinois University College of Law

Northern Illinois University College of Law

@niulaw

@NIU_Law

@NIULawDean

Learn more and apply online at law.niu.edu

Northern Illinois University College of Law

O ce of Admissions

Swen Parson Hall, Room 151 DeKalb, IL 60115-2828

Phone: 815-753-8595

Email: law-admit@niu.edu