Southern Illinois University
SCHOOL OF LAW
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Southern Illinois University School of Law. The decision to attend law school is an important one. You are preparing to make a significant investment of your time, money, energy and passion. At SIU, we are prepared to help you make the most of that investment. Let me tell you briefly about why and invite you to read more about our program in the pages that follow. First, SIU Law emphasizes excellence in academics. You will learn from faculty members who are nationally and internationally recognized in their fields, and who have earned prestigious honors for their teaching and scholarship. You will have opportunities to participate in innovative and exciting academic programs and courses. Second, SIU Law will help you master legal skills as well as legal doctrine. Our students take advantage of opportunities to study abroad, to engage in interdisciplinary studies, to gain practical legal skills by working in our clinic or as an extern, and to participate in a wide variety of extracurricular organizations, teams and journals. Indeed, we were recognized by National Jurist magazine as a “Best School for Practical Training.” Third, SIU Law provides a rigorous legal education in a supportive environment. We will challenge you and provide the support that you need to meet and make the most of those challenges. You will receive individual attention from professors and administrators who genuinely care about your success. The relationships our students develop through work with professors and our continually expanding network of attorneys allows our graduates to find employment across the United States in the public and private sectors. Most importantly, SIU Law recognizes that today’s law students are tomorrow’s leaders, and we are committed to helping you develop the tools to turn your passions into actions. Our alumni have reached the very highest echelons of the profession. Through programs such as our Women in Leadership workshop, we equip you with the leadership skills you need to take on the complex social, commercial and global challenges of tomorrow. I invite you to visit our law school, sit in on a class, meet our students and faculty, and explore the intellectually vibrant community that awaits you at Southern Illinois University School of Law.
With best regards,
Cynthia L. Fountaine Dean and Professor of Law
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WE GET STUDENTS CLOSER TO WHAT MATTERS MOST THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THEIR DEGREES TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT. Through relationships to professors and connections to the profession, we open doors for our students so they can navigate their careers on their terms. Whatever their career goals, we give them the experiences they need to be successful from day one. Even as massive changes reshape the legal profession, our students have the ability and determination to work with, and through, change. And when they graduate, they enter their careers with real momentum.
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WE NEVER STOP RETHINKING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LAWYER. AND NEITHER DO OUR STUDENTS. As the legal profession has changed and society has become increasingly globally connected, SIU Law has stayed ahead of the curve. Our graduates are equipped to do more than react to change – they become change agents themselves, with a fundamental understanding of what legal skills are needed most now while never losing sight of what it means to be a lawyer.
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THE FIRST YEAR Our first-year program integrates fundamental legal theory with the development of the basic skills and professional traits required of a successful law practice. As a first-year (1L) law student, you will receive a solid foundation in the basic principles of the law. In our nationally recognized Lawyering Skills Program, you will participate in small classes designed for active learning in which you will practice a range of skills, including legal research and writing, client interviewing, client counseling, advocacy and negotiation. In our Professionalism and the Law course, you will learn about the core values of the legal profession and your responsibilities as a member. You will participate with your class in the drafting of a “Declaration of Professional Commitment,� which you will recite during your induction as a lawyer-in-training during a ceremony presided over by an Illinois Supreme Court justice.
FIRST-YEAR COURSES Civil Procedure Contracts I & II Criminal Law Lawyering Skills I & II Legislative and Administrative Process Professionalism and the Law Property I & II Torts
Pictured Left: Willie Lyles III, Class of 2017. Before law school, Lyles worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC), where his work with attorneys fighting to protect minority contracting programs motivated him to pursue a law degree. Lyles is an active member of the law school community who serves in several organizations, including the Student Bar Association and the Black Law Student Association. He also serves as vice president of student affairs for the Graduate and Professional Student Council. During law school, Lyles created the Carbondale Pipeline Working Group (CPWG), an intergenerational pipeline encouraging young people from minority communities to seek careers in the legal profession. This work has led to amazing partnerships, including one between the SIU School of Law and the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale.
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UPPER-LEVEL COURSES 2L REQUIRED COURSES
BUSINESS/CORPORATIONS
CRIMINAL LAW
Civil Procedure II Constitutional Law Evidence Legal Profession
Accounting for Lawyers Advanced Real Estate Transactions Agency and Partnership Administrative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Antitrust Bankruptcy Business Boot Camp Business Organizations Business Planning Commercial Law (Introduction to) Consumer Protection Corporations Corporate Taxation Federal Business Taxation Federal Income Taxation Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Insurance Law Intellectual Property Intellectual Property and Commercialization International Business Transactions Not-For-Profit Corporations (Senior Seminar) Partnership Taxation Products Liability Securities Regulation Trademarks and Unfair Competition Transactional Skills (Introduction to)
Advanced Criminal Procedure Topics (Senior Seminar) Criminal Procedure: Post Investigations Criminal Procedure: Pre-Trial Foreign Corrupt Practices Act International Criminal Law International White-Collar Crime (Senior Seminar) Pre-Trial Advocacy Semester in Practice Externship: Criminal Practice Sentencing Law Trial Advocacy White-Collar Crime
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EMPLOYMENT/ LABOR LAW Alternative Dispute Resolution Employment Discrimination Employment Law Labor Law Workers’ Compensation
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW Administrative Law Advanced Environmental Litigation Agricultural Law Environmental Law Land Use Planning Natural Resources Law Oil and Gas Law Water Law
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Civil Practice Clinic Domestic Violence Clinic Judicial Externship Juvenile Justice Clinic Public Interest Externship Semester in Practice: Criminal Practice Semester in Practice: Health Law & Policy Semester in Practice: Intellectual Property Semester in Practice: State & Local Government
FAMILY LAW AND ESTATE PLANNING Advanced Real Estate Transactions Alternative Dispute Resolution Basic Estate Planning Children and the Law Family Law Trusts and Estates
HEALTH LAW Administrative Law Advanced Torts Antitrust Bioethics and the Law Corporations Disability Law Health Care Legislation Health Policy Law Insurance Law Medical Malpractice Law Medical Malpractice Clinical Rotation Mental Health Law Public Health Law Regulation of Health Care Professionals Semester in Practice Externship: Health Law & Policy
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW Antitrust Copyright Law Current Developments in American Law: Trade Secrets Intellectual Property Intellectual Property and Commercialization Patent Law Semester in Practice: Intellectual Property Trademarks and Unfair Competition
INTERNATIONAL LAW Current Developments in International Law: Human Rights International Intellectual Property (Senior Seminar) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Immigration Law Immigration Law Practice Experience International Business Transactions International Criminal Law International Law Legal Globalization and Comparative Law International White-Collar Crime (Senior Seminar)
LITIGATION AND TRIAL SKILLS Administrative Law Advanced Appellate Advocacy Advanced Appellate Moot Court Advanced Mock Trial Advanced Torts Advanced Trial Advocacy Alternative Dispute Resolution Client Interviewing and Counseling Conflict of Laws Criminal Procedure: Pre-Trial Criminal Procedure: Post Investigations Electronic Discovery (Senior Seminar) Federal Courts Law Practice Management Mediation Skills Negotiation Pre-Trial Advocacy Remedies Transactional Skills (Introduction to) Trial Advocacy
PUBLIC-INTEREST LAW Administrative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Civil Practice Clinic Civil Rights Client Interviewing and Counseling Constitutional Law: Advanced Topics Consumer Protection Domestic Violence Clinic Employment Discrimination Family Law First Amendment Rights Judicial Externship Juvenile Justice Clinic Privacy Law Public Interest Externship Public Interest Externship: Innocence Project Public Interest Externship: Prisoner Civil Rights Litigation Public Interest Externship: Veterans Legal Assistance State and Local Government
SEMINARS AND SPECIAL TOPICS Animal Law Firearms Law and the Second Amendment (Senior Seminar) Jurisprudence Law and the Arts Military Law (Senior Seminar) Religion and the Law (Senior Seminar) Sports Law Supreme Court Decisions (Senior Seminar) Women in Leadership Workshop
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CHART YOUR OWN PATH
In today’s changing legal profession, SIU School of Law supports the agility and determination of our students to chart educational and career paths that allow them to excel in the changing environment.
SPECIALIZATIONS Law students at SIU can pursue a specially designed course of study in several areas of law practice specialization. The course of study for each practice area includes core and elective courses, a writing project and an experiential learning component. Students who complete a specialization receive a transcript notation and certificate to help demonstrate their focus to potential employers. • Business & Transactional Law • Health Law & Policy • Intellectual Property
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• International & Comparative Law • Litigation & Dispute Resolution • Public Interest Law
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS In today’s competitive legal market, many students are taking advantage of opportunities to earn a joint degree. These interdisciplinary paths also allow students to apply their specific interests and passions to the profession of law. We offer eight dual-degree programs through the SIU Carbondale Graduate School and the SIU School of Medicine that allow students to receive M.D. or master’s degrees while pursuing a law degree. Doctor of Political Science Doctor of Medicine Master of Accountancy Master of Business Administration
Master of Science in Education Master of Public Administration Master of Social Work Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering
THE TWO-YEAR HONORS SCHEDULING OPTION The School of Law offers a scheduling option that allows eligible students to complete the J.D. degree in two years. Interested students must indicate their interest in this option at the time of their application to law school. A limited number of students with outstanding academic credentials will be eligible. Students who are admitted into this option must maintain a GPA that is at or above the median for their class to continue with the accelerated schedule. Students in SIU’s two-year honors scheduling option will begin in the fall semester and follow the traditional first-year curriculum, thereby allowing them to build camaraderie with the rest of the first-year class – a hallmark of the first-year experience. At the conclusion of the first year, participating students in the two-year honors scheduling option will continue on the accelerated schedule during the summer and finish at the conclusion of the following summer. Students can opt out of this scheduling option and resume a normal schedule at any time during their course of study.
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WE’RE POWERED BY RELATIONSHIPS. Our faculty members have strong relationships and deep connections to the legal profession. Our students take full advantage of the opportunities these relationships create; they jump into our semester-in-practice programs, excel in field placements and take on interdisciplinary paths that allow them to apply their passion to their profession. Through these experiences, our students learn how to work with people at every level and build relationships of their own. That’s the “SIU Law Advantage.” 9
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“I visited a number of schools, each renowned for cultivating gifted students of the law. But SIU Law promised an additional opportunity – one that taught me to be a practitioner of the law. Within my first semester I was working as a research assistant to professor (Ryan) Holte, performing in-depth legal analytics and simultaneously acquiring the exact skills I needed to excel as an intellectual property attorney. It’s really humbling to have so many highly successful attorneys genuinely invested in my success beyond the classroom; the experience is immeasurable.”
“A lot of the professors are helpful way beyond academic settings. I have received career insights and personal advice from my professors. I feel that a lot of that is attributable to the class size and personal relationships that are developed at this school. SIU Law has a lot more to offer than just low tuition. The school is filled with unique professors and students that make this place special.” – Michael Levy, J.D., ‘15
“My judicial externship experience was invaluable. Working for the Fifth District of the appellate court gave me not only a new perspective of the legal field, but also a new perspective on myself and the type of attorney I aspire to become. The relationships I formed with the judges and staff have proven to become helpful resources for my future. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of professionals to be surrounded with on a daily basis. They were always so willing to help me excel.” – Frankie Carbajal, ‘18
– Julie Wolf, ‘17
Pictured left: SIU School of Law alumna Sarah Taylor, Class of 2002, talks with students during the Women in Leadership Workshop. Taylor, who is also an adjunct professor, received the Board of Governors Award from the Illinois State Bar Association in 2016 in recognition of exemplary service to the legal profession.
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HEALTH LAW AND POLICY @ SIU LAW Developed nearly 30 years ago, SIU Law’s Center for Health Law and Policy advances education and research regarding critical issues in health law, public policy and medical ethics. The program helps students prepare for careers in health law and policy, in addition to expanding and enhancing educational, research and program activities within Illinois and the nation. The program offers numerous opportunities for students to participate, and brings together some of the nation’s leading health law advocates and medical professionals for lectures and symposiums on critical health-related issues facing the nation.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • • • • •
Health Law and Policy Semester in Practice Health Law and Policy Specialization Ryan Bioethicist-in-Residence The Journal of Legal Medicine National Health Law Moot Court Competition • Southern Illinois Healthcare/SIU Health Policy Institute • J.D./M.D. concurrent degree program • SIH/Medical-Legal Partnership
“I was fortunate enough to find my career path while working at the Illinois Department of Public Health Legal Services (IDPH). My summer fellowship brought me out of the courtroom and into the rulemaking processes. I assisted in issues including, but not limited to, communicable disease registry and border hospitals; disaster and emergency regulation; isolation and quarantine regulation; and editing administrative rules in various stages of the legislative process. I was directly involved in drafting the language that creates the public health infrastructure of Illinois. I discovered that my legal passion could be exercised outside of the courtroom. My fellowship at the IDPH taught me that there are countless ways to utilize my juris doctorate degree and health law specialization. Bright legal minds are crucial to the legislative process, and rulemaking is one of many nontraditional legal careers for health law graduates.” – Kate Jamruk (Class of 2016) 11
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INTERNATIONAL LAW
Our internationally engaged faculty has global ties that empower students to take their learning beyond borders – and to another level. Students and faculty are involved in a number of international law-related activities, including a variety of international law courses, immigration law-related moot court competitions, an Immigration Detention Project, and an active student-run International Law Society that hosts speakers and programs related to international law. Each year, several SIU faculty members and students engage in international and comparative law research, conferences and other projects. SIU Law is a member of the International Association of Law Schools, and has linkage agreements with the University of Botswana and Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania. Our legal globalization course gives students the chance to travel abroad for an in-depth study of the impact globalization has on legal issues and culture. In addition to studying in another country for a portion of a semester, students will look at that country’s legal and political structure during the semester. Through this program, students have traveled to Germany, Australia, Cuba, Botswana and South Africa.
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WE’RE FOCUSED ON TAKING THE THEORETICAL AND TURNING IT INTO WHAT WORKS. Our students master theory. But they understand that theory will only take them so far. To go the distance, they take on the hard work of developing as professionals with a skill set they never stop adapting – skills that are in short supply and great demand. Our students begin to grow into their roles as expert communicators, negotiators and advocates as participants in public-interest externships, our award-winning professionalism program, and our first-year program that emphasizes professional development from day one. It’s a style of leadership they’ll depend on for the rest of their professional lives. And that’s why, to go the distance, they come to SIU.
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You will be able to immerse yourself in skills-building programs such as moot court, externships, semester-in-practice programs and legal clinic work. You will also have opportunities to collaborate with faculty members in their areas of research and pro bono service.
MOOT COURT
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Students begin to hone their advocacy skills in our appellate and trial moot court programs. They compete successfully in regional and national competitions, where they regularly earn team and individual awards.
This program helps students build their own leadership skills while learning about ways to overcome the challenges that women face as leaders within the legal profession. The workshop is taught by a well-respected faculty of lawyers, judges and law professors who encourage students to participate through small-group discussions, mock negotiations, simulated interviews, and short writing assignments. Some of the topics discussed during the workshop include: leadership attributes and skills; gender and communication; gender and negotiation; gender in the workplace; interviewing; networking; developing a personal/ professional brand; balancing career and family; and seeking leadership positions. The program concludes with a networking dinner with practicing attorneys and judges.
LEGAL CLINICS Our award-winning clinics serve a 13-county area in Southern Illinois and offer students the opportunity to work with clinical faculty to represent clients in cases involving elder law, civil practice, domestic violence and juvenile justice.
EXTERNSHIPS Our public-interest externship program allows students to earn course credit for work in a publicly funded law office, or in a nonprofit organization that has in-house counsel, or in a federal, state or local agency that has attorneys on its staff. Special sections are available for students interested in working on cases for the Innocence Project, Prisoners Civil Rights or Veterans Legal Assistance. Students who are interested in working for a state or federal judge may enroll in a judicial externship. Students can also earn a full-semester credit through a semester-in-practice externship that combines courses related to a particular field of study with externship opportunities in locations outside Carbondale.
PRO BONO PROJECTS Students provide much-needed pro bono services under the direction of faculty members who work with various projects. As part of its long-standing commitment to public service, SIU requires law students to complete 35 hours of approved pro bono work prior to graduation. Students are able to participate in pro bono opportunities that already exist, such as the Immigration Detention Project, the Innocence Project and the Self Help Legal Center, but they are also free to pursue law-related projects in their own areas of interest.
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OUR GRADUATES ENTER THEIR CAREERS UNDAUNTED. They demonstrate the nimble thinking, versatility and savvy know-how that translates into professional longevity. Not only are they ready for anything, they’re ready to go anywhere. And they do.
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SIU LAW ALUMNI ARE EVERYWHERE Our alumni are a testament to the success of the SIU School of Law. Since the first class graduated in 1976, our alumni network has grown to more than 4,000 graduates that includes more than 100 state and federal judges, and practitioners in 49 states and throughout the world. Our alumni are a supportive community willing to assist students and recent graduates in a variety of ways, including externships, networking and employment opportunities.
“The best advice I ever received was to go to SIU School of Law. I knew I wanted to remain in the area, and it was a great education at a great price.” – Nancy J. Rosenstengel, J.D. ‘93 U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois
“SIU provided me with both a top-notch legal education and the practical ability to promote my success.” – Peter Borkon, ‘96 Partner Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP San Francisco
“SIU’s biggest asset is its small size and personal attention. I highly doubt I would have stayed with a program at a larger school. I really felt like the faculty at SIU cared about my success.” – Kristen Johnson, ’08 Attorney-Advisor Division of Land and Water Resources Office of the Solicitor U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C.
Pictured left: Jenna Tucker, Class of 2016, is now working as an associate at Rammelkamp Bradney P.C. in Jacksonville, Illinois.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois, a town of approximately 26,000. The population in this classic university community grows each fall with the addition of about 16,000 students. Students at the SIU School of Law enjoy the advantages that come with a university that is a major research institution – The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies SIU Carbondale among the top 5 percent of U.S. higher education institutions for research. There is also a variety of cultural, athletic, educational and recreational opportunities within the community and throughout Southern Illinois that will enhance your educational experience.
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REGISTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (RSO) At SIU School of Law, our students are doers who participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities. We have more than 30 registered student organizations (RSOs) students can join to enhance their law school experiences. The RSOs represent a variety of interests and diversity within the student body. The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the umbrella organization for all student groups within the law school.
STUDENT RECREATION CENTER Taking a break from studying is important, and the Student Recreation Center offers a wide variety of services and programs to help students keep their mental and physical edge. Offerings include intramural sports, sports clubs, personal trainers, therapeutic massage and aquatics, along with instructional programs such as yoga and pilates, dance, boxing and martial arts. Outdoor adventures, such as scuba diving, camping and boating packages, are also available.
SALUKI ATHLETICS A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Southern Illinois University sponsors 18 intercollegiate sports. In football, the Salukis compete in the NCAA FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), formerly the Division 1-AA division. Since 2001, the Salukis have won 19 conference titles and appeared in 24 NCAA tournaments.
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LAW.SIU.EDU
SIU School of Law Lesar Law Buliding - Mail Code 6804 Southern Illinois University 1150 Douglas Drive Carbondale, IL 62901 Phone: 800/739-9187
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