College of Law

DePaul University, College of Law History

De Paul University College of Law was established in 1898 and is a private institution. The campus is in an urban area in downtown Chicago. The primary mission of the law school is to train and educate men and women who will ethically and competently represent the legal profession in urban and international settings and in private practice, business, or government. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Chicago area. Extensive clinical and externship opportunities are available. Facilities of special interest to law students include amphitheater-style video-equipped classrooms, a state-of-the-art moot court room, a legal clinic, new student housing, and the law library. Housing for students is available in an 18-story downtown Chicago residence. The Office of Admission also assists students in locating off-campus apartments and studios. About half of the student body is from out of state. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

DePaul University, College of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and certificates in Intellectual Property, Taxation, and Health Law. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 10 hours credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master in International Studies), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master in Public Service Management), and J.D./M.S. or J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master in Computer Science).

The College of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, entertainment law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, juvenile law, litigation, media law, sports law, tax law, torts and insurance, health law, information technology, arts and museum law, international human rights law, and public interest law. In addition, upper-level students may enroll in the following clinics: Technology and Intellectual Property Clinic, Criminal Appeals, Death Penalty, Immigration and Asylum Law, and Family and Child Law. Each clinic is worth 3 hours of credit. Seminars are 3-credit hour courses taken during the last year of legal studies. The school also offers numerous internships. Students work with a government agency (such as the State Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, or the judiciary) or other organizations. Students may undertake an independent study project in which they develop an in-depth, publishable research paper under the guidance of a professor. Courses with field work are offered in Commercial Law, Criminal Justice, Environmental Law, Family Law, Judicial, Intellectual Property, Labor Law, Tax Law, Health Law, International Human Rights, and Mediation, as well as a legal clinic. An annual Visiting Scholar program is offered. Students may study abroad in an exchange program in conjunction with University College in Dublin, Ireland, as well as study abroad in Beijing, China, Chiapas, Mexico, and San Jose, Costa Rica. An extensive Academic Support Program under the supervision of 2 full-time education specialists is offered. A wide-range of services and activities for students-of-color are provided by DePaul’s Black, Latino, and Asian student associations. An Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs is on the staff of the Law School. Special interest programs include the Women’s Law Caucus, Public Interest Law Association, Human Rights Bar Association, Environmental law society, Labor Law Society, International Law Society, and Gay and Lesbian Society. The College also sponsors the following institutes: Health Law Institute; Center for Intellectual Property and Information Technology; Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center; International Human Rights Law Institute; Center for Justice in Capital Cases; International Aviation law Institute; and the Center for Law and Science. The most widely taken electives are Litigation Strategies, Alternate Dispute Resolution, and Corporate Law.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 86 total credits, of which 46 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Process I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Analysis, Research and Communication I and II, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Criminal Procedure, Legal Analysis, Research and Communication, Legal Profession, and Senior Seminar with a research paper. A professional skills course is required, which includes clinical courses. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 2-day program for full-time students and a 2-night program for part-time students.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and a required seminar.

DePaul University, College of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 391,709 hard-copy volumes and 184,541 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 6000 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, Wilsonline Indexes, BNA-ALL, Making of Modern Law, and CCH Tax are available to law students for research. Special library collections include an official U.S. government depository, and tax law, health law, and human rights law collections. Recently, the library renovated the 3-floor library. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 6528 to 1 and to students is 381 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 2.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by attending recruitment programs at historically black colleges and other universities with a substantial number of minority students. The College of Law also recruits minority students through direct mail, and a number of on-campus programs. In addition, scholarships are awarded. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have a minimum GPA of 2, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and submit their LSDAS reports, law school transcripts, letter of recommendation, and letters of good standing by August 1.

DePaul University, College of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 4792 applied, 1735 were accepted, and 311 enrolled. Twenty-six transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 84; the median GPA was 3.44 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 18; the highest was 99.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a nonrefundable application fee of $60, 1 letter of recommendation. Accepted students must pay 2 deposits, which total $400. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

DePaul University, College of Law Financial Aid

About 91% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $38,592; maximum, $78,263. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Scholarship awards are available to students who contribute to diversity and have financial need. All students are eligible for consideration. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application after March 1.

DePaul University, College of Law Students

About 51% of the student body are women; 22%, minorities; 7%, African American; 6%, Asian American; and 9%, Hispanic. The majority of students come from Illinois (43%). The average age of entering students is 24; age range is 20 to 46. About 45% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 8% have a graduate degree, and 35% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 3% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the De Paul Law Review, Health Care Law Journal, De Paul Business and Commercial Law Journal, Intellectual Property Law Digest, Journal of Art, Technology and Intellectual Property Law, Journal of Sports Law and Contemporary Problems,, and the Journal of Social Justice. Students participate in an annual international moot court competition. The Moot Court Society enters national and international competitions. Negotiations, Client Counseling, and Jessup International Moot Court competitions are held annually. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus clubs and organizations include the Women’s Law Caucus, National Lawyers Guild, Student Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Delta Phi, Decalogue Society, Federalist Society, International Law Society, and Justinian Society of Lawyers.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time and part-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years. Part-time students may take some upper-level day courses. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is a 7-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.