School of Law

Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M., S.J.D., and M.J. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 9 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Arts in political science), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Business Administration), and J.D./M.S.W. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Social Work).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, family law, international law, juvenile law, labor law, litigation, tax law, health law, and public interest law. With the exceptions of health law, tax law, and child law, none of the concentrations are formalized. In addition, clinical legal experience is gained through the Loyola University Community Law Center, the Federal Tax Clinic, the Child Law Clinic, the Business Law Clinic, and the Elder Law Clinic. Seminars, of which there are a variety, are offered for 2 to 3 credit hours. Second- and third-year law students receive 3 hours credit for teaching a course called Street Law in Chicago-area high schools. Externships are available every semester; supervised experience is offered in judicial, criminal, corporate, health law, child law, and government for 2 or 3 credit hours. Individualized research projects, under the supervision of a faculty member, are available every semester for 1 to 2 hours of credit. Special lecture series include the Philip H. Corboy Lecture, the Wing-Tat Lee Lecture on international and comparative law, the Christopher T. Hurley Lecture, and the Law and Literature Lecture. Study-abroad programs include the Rome Program and the Beijing Program. Rome and Beijing are each 4- to 5-week summer programs offering 4 or 5 elective courses for 2 credits each. There is a 2-week London Advocacy Program and a Chile immersion program. Loyola’s Academic Enhancement Program is conducted during the spring semester. The voluntary program provides extensive tutoring and faculty mentors to students who fall within the lower 20% of the first-year class. The Child Advocacy Program utilizes interdisciplinary instruction and field experience to train students to become child advocates. The Public Interest Law Program provides law students with opportunities to explore public interest law through the legal clinic. The most widely taken electives are Evidence, Sales, and Secured Transactions.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 86 total credits, of which 30 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 I, Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research, Legal Writing I and II, Perspective elective, Property I, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Advocacy, Constitutional Law II, and Professional Responsibility. The orientation program for first-year students is mandatory.

To graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and 86 hours that fulfill all required courses.

Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 4162 applied, 1152 were accepted, and 276 enrolled. Twenty-five transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 85; the median GPA was 3.58 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 43; the highest was 97.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include academic achievement, GPA, and LSAT results. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is April 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 2 academic letters of recommendation. Notification of the admissions decision is within 4 weeks of receipt of a completed application. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Financial Aid

About 94% 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 $32,557; maximum, $53,000. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include a variety of merit-based scholarships. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application 2 to 3 weeks after the law school receives results of the FAFSA.

Students

About 52% of the student body are women; 24%, minorities; 6%, African American; 7%, Asian American; 5%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Illinois (46%). The average age of entering students is 25; age range is 21 to 59. About 28% of students enter directly from undergraduate school and 9% have a graduate degree. About 3% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 90% remain to receive a law degree.

Student-edited publications include the Loyola Law Journal, Loyola Consumer Law Review, Annals of Health Law, Public Interest Law Reporter, Children’s Legal Rights Journal, and the International Forum. A biweekly newsletter, The Bulletin, is published by the law school administration with student assistance. Moot Court competitions include the National Moot Court, Jessup Competition, and Wagner (labor law). Other competitions include the National Mock Trial Competition and the Client Counseling Competition and Negotiations Competition, both sponsored by the ABA. Loyola also participates annually in the Intra-school Moot Court Competition, Chicago Bar, Illinois Bar, Niagara, Sutherland Rich (intellectual property), National Juvenile Law, National Health Law, ABA, Hispanic Bar, Frederick Douglass, Willem Vis, and Thomas Tang. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include the Student Bar Association, Decalogue Society, National Lawyers Guild, Black Law Students Association, American Society of International Law, Latin American Law Students Association, Health Law Society, Child Law Society, Outlaw Society, and Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 4 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is 1 2-week and 2 4-week summer sessions. Transferable summer courses are offered.

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