- College of Law
- Academics
- Juris Doctor (J.D.)
- J.D. First, Second and Third-year Requirements
J.D. First, Second and Third-year Requirements
First Year
The first-year curriculum provides the basic building blocks of a rewarding professional career by developing a fundamental understanding of the law, legal analysis and the legal process.
Orientation
The first-year experience begins with an orientation introducing academic and organizational skills you must master to successfully complete law school. Topics presented during orientation include:
- The importance of ethical and professional behavior in law school and the profession
- Case briefing, synthesis, note taking, IRAC and exam writing
- Learning styles and time management
First-year students also get to know College of Law faculty, staff and upper-level students during informal social events held during orientation.
First-year Courses
All first-year courses are required. Full-time first-year students are automatically registered for all courses. No additional courses may be added. You are not permitted to change from one section to another in a required course without the permission of the Dean's Office.
Fall Semester
Course | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
513 | Legal Methods | 2 |
502 | Contracts I | 3 |
506 | Civil Procedure I | 3 |
508 | Torts | 4 |
510 | Criminal Law | 3 |
511 | Basic Legal Research I | 1 |
515 | Intro to Legal Profession I | One credit awarded at end of academic year |
Total hours | 16 |
Spring Semester
Course | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
500 | Legal Writing & Advocacy | 2 |
503 | Contracts II | 3 |
505 | Property | 4 |
507 | Civil Procedure II | 3 |
512 | Basic Legal Research II | 2 |
550 | Constitutional Law I | 2 |
516 | Introduction to the Legal Profession II | 1 |
Total hours | 17 |
Upper-level Requirements
- Constitutional Law II (600) and Legal Writing & Advocacy II (701) must be taken in the first semester of the second year.
- Introduction to Lawyering Skills (720) must be taken during the second year.
- Other requirements for graduation include Professional Responsibility (643), the upper-division writing requirement and participation in a clinic, externship or the Prisoners' Rights Project.
Writing Requirement
• a writing seminar meeting the description in §3.18.1
• a note for law review meeting the description in section §3.18.2
• a qualifying Directed Research (794, 795) project meeting the description in §3.18.3
Electives
- To graduate, a student must have satisfactorily completed 90 semester hours of credit, including all required courses, with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.20 or better.
- The additional courses needed to fulfill the 90 semester hours required for graduation may be selected from a broad range of upper-level elective courses that provide training in litigation and other lawyering skills and expose students to the full range of legal practice areas. Typically, several seminars are offered each semester. Past topics include civil rights litigation, corporate governance donative transfers, educational law, environmental law, family law, Illinois constitutional law, immigration law, international business, medical malpractice, sports and entertainment law, and tax policy.
- The College of Law also offers six certificate programs that enable students to focus on specialized areas of the law.
Contact Us
AdmissionsSwen Parson Hall 151
815-753-8595
law-admit@niu.eduDean's Office
Swen Parson Hall 270
815-753-1068