Northwestern University

Law School Overview

U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

Rank Category Name #12 Best Law Schools

Specialties Locked in Clinical Training #4 in Tax Law #4 in Trial Advocacy

Law School Overview

The School of Law at Northwestern University has an application deadline of March 1. The full-time program application fee at the School of Law at Northwestern University is $100. The part-time program application fee at the School of Law at Northwestern University is $100. Its tuition is full-time: $53,468 per year. The student-faculty ratio is 8.2:1. The School of Law at Northwestern University has 142 full- and part-time faculty on staff.

Students interested in the Northwestern Law School should keep in mind that it’s the only school in the country that “strongly encourages” applicants to interview with the Admissions Committee on campus, according to the school’s website. Applicants to the accelerated J.D. program, a program pioneered at Northwestern Law that takes two years to complete, are required to interview. In addition to the traditional and accelerated J.D. programs, students can complete joint degrees including a J.D./M.B.A. in conjunction with the highly ranked Kellogg School of Management or a J.D./Ph.D. with the Northwestern Graduate School. There are no part-time or evening classes for J.D. candidates.

The school offers several Moot Court and Trial Team groups, and all students are required to take part in the Arlyn Miner First-Year Moot Court Program. There are about five legal journals for second and third year students to join, as well as more than 30 student organizations. The school’s Bluhm Legal Clinic helps students gain skills including interviewing, counseling, and negotiating, and the Fred Bartlit Center for Trial Strategy uses simulation-based teaching to train students in trial advocacy and more. For students looking for housing, there is limited space in family housing on campus, and the school helps students locate private, off-campus housing throughout Chicago.

Among the scores of notable alumni of Northwestern Law School are Robert McCormick, cofounder of law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and Jerry Springer, former mayor of Cincinnati and host of the Jerry Springer Show.

To see which law firms rank the highest, please visit U.S. News Best Law Firms.

Year founded	1859
Public/private	Private
Law school designation	National

Admissions

Application deadline	March 1
Full-time program application fee	$100
Part-time program application fee	$100
Admissions Phone	(312) 503-8465
Admissions E-mail	admissions@law.northwestern.edu
Web site	http://www.law.northwestern.edu

Academics

Full- and part-time faculty	142
Student-faculty ratio	8.2:1
Total faculty	171

Student Body

Enrollment (full-time)	811
Gender distribution (full-time)
J.D. candidates graduating in 2011-2012	295

Cost

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $53,468 per year
Room and board	$14,040

Careers

Employed at graduation 2	77.4%
Median private sector starting salary	$160,000
Median public service starting salary	$60,000

Library

Total volumes and volume equivalents

829,849

* Law School Overview details based on 2012 data