Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis History

Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis was established in 1895 and is a public institution. The campus is in an urban area in Indianapolis. The primary mission of the law school is to provide a legal education that will equip graduates with highly refined analytical and problem-solving skills, compassion, and ethics. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Indianapolis area. Facilities of special interest to law students the Indiana Supreme Court and NCAA. Housing for students is available for single and married students in university-owned housing. Most students live in off-campus apartments. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M., S.J.D., and LL.B., LL.M., in Law for foreign lawyers: Health Law, Policy, and Bioethics. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.H.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration), J.D./M.L.S (Juris Doctor/Master of Library Science), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Affairs), J.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health), J.D./M.Phil (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Philosophy with concentration in health and bioethics), and J.D./M.S.W. (Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work).

The Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, intellectual property law, international law, labor law, litigation, tax law, health law, international human rights, and state and local government law. In addition, halfway through their studies, students may take clinics in Civil Practice, Disability, Criminal Defense, and Immigration Law. Clients are represented by students under the supervision of faculty. Seminars are available for 2 credits in areas such as evidence, international law, health law, and American legal history. Internships for students are offered in banking; commercial; environmental; immigration; corporate; criminal defense; international, federal, state and local government law; with federal and state courts and agencies; public defender; and prosecution. Credit varies from none to 2 hours. There are research opportunities available through the Center for Law and Health and the law journals. A special lecture series is active at the law school with various speakers and topics of interest. Study abroad is available through the Annual Summer China, Latin American, France, and Croatia programs. Tutorial programs are offered through the Dean’s Tutorial Society, led by students, and led by a faculty member. A Minority Law Day is held for prospective students. Indiana CLEO is available for under-represented groups in the legal profession. The most widely taken electives are International Law, Health Law, and Advocacy Skills.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 35 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.3 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Writing I, II, and III, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Constitutional Law and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students is 2 days in the fall, which covers case briefing, outlining, library use, and basic computer use.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.3 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 599,038 hard-copy volumes and 66,069 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 3227 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as LEXIS and WESTLAW are available to law students for research. Special library collections include United States government and United Nations publications. Recently, the library increased library space and added 2 new dual degree librarians. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 15,360 to 1 and to students is 629 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 1.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by means of Minority Law Day, visits to historically black colleges and universities, CLEO, ICLEO, and LSDAS candidate referral search. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and acceptance depends on space availability.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 1575 applied, 625 were accepted, and 300 enrolled. Twenty-four transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 60; the median GPA was 3.51 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 11; the highest was 96.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include undergraduate curriculum, LSAT results, and academic achievement. The student’s academic program is weighed into GPA assessment. 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 personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 3 letters of recommendation. 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.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis Financial Aid

About 86% 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 $20,500; maximum, $53,488. Awards are based on need and merit, if awards are from a private donor, requirements differ. Required financial statements are the CSS Profile and the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students consist of awards from private donors as well as Indiana CLEO for under-represented groups in the legal field. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis Students

About 48% of the student body are women; 17%, minorities; 6%, African American; 3%, Asian American; 3%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Indiana (73%). The average age of entering students is 26; age range is 21 to 50. About 32% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 14% have a graduate degree, and 68% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 2% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 98% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit theIndiana Law Review, Indiana International and Comparative Law Review, and the Indiana Health Law Review. Moot court teams are sent annually to the ABA-National Appellate Advocacy Competition; the Privacy Competition in Chicago, Illinois; and the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Competition. Teams also compete in the Client Counseling and Law and European Law competitions. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include the Equal Justice Works, LAMBDA Law Society, Sports and Entertainment Law Society, International Law Society, Black Law Student Association, and Phi Alpha Delta.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered days only and must be completed within 7 years. For part-time students, courses are offered evenings only and must be completed within 7 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.