Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

Northwestern University
Pritzker School of Law
Motto

Quaecumque sunt vera (Latin)
Ὁ Λόγος πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας - Ho logos pleres charitos kai aletheias (Greek)
Whatsoever things are true (Philippians 4:8 AV)

The word full of grace and truth (Gospel of John 1:14)
Established 1859
School type Private
Parent endowment US $10.19 billion
Dean Daniel B. Rodriguez, Harold Washington Professor
Location Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
41°53′47″N 87°37′03″W / 41.8963°N 87.6174°W / 41.8963; -87.6174Coordinates: 41°53′47″N 87°37′03″W / 41.8963°N 87.6174°W / 41.8963; -87.6174
Enrollment 658[1]
Faculty 190[1]
USNWR ranking 10[1]
Bar pass rate 92% (2017)[1]
Website law.northwestern.edu
ABA profile Northwestern Law Profile

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law[2] is one of the professional graduate schools of Northwestern University, located in Chicago, Illinois. Northwestern Law is a member of the "T-14", a prestigious group of 14 law schools that enjoy national recognition.[3] Established in the mid-1800s, the Law School has a long history of advancing the understanding of law and graduating countless accomplished alums across all areas of the law. Notable alums include: Arthur Goldberg, former United States Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Ambassador to the United Nations[4]; John Paul Stevens, former United States Supreme Court Justice[5]; Newton Minow, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission[6]; and Harold Washington, the first black Mayor of Chicago (1983–87) and member of the U.S. House of Representatives[7].

Today, the Law School produces graduates prepared to excel in a rapidly changing world by uniquely blending a rigorous intellectual environment with a collegial and supportive community. The educational program provides a strong core foundation in the law and legal reasoning, exposes students to the law in context and in action through its robust clinical program (Bluhm Legal Clinic), and reflects the increasing globalization of law and business through curricular innovation such as the Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Concentration. The Law School enrolls approximately 935 students in its JD and non-JD programs. These students have access to the most interdisciplinary research faculty in the nation, with one of the lowest student-faculty ratios. 

Northwestern Law is led by Daniel B. Rodriguez, who was appointed Dean and Harold Washington Professor in January 2012. Dean Rodriguez received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1987 and his undergraduate degree from the California State University of Long Beach, where he is a recipient of the school’s distinguished alumnus award.    

According to Northwestern's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 93% of the Class of 2016 obtained full-time, long-term employment nine months after graduation.[8]

History

Founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law, the school that would become known as the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law was the first law school established in the city of Chicago. The Law School was originally a department of the Old University of Chicago[9] and enrolled twenty-three students. In 1891 the Law School formally became Northwestern University School of Law when Northwestern University assumed total control. Throughout the 20th century, programs such as the JD-MBA and JD-PhD were added to maintain the Law School’s position as one of America’s top-ranked schools of law. In October 2015, it was officially renamed the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law after J.B. Pritzker and his wife, M.K. Pritzker, gave $100 million to significantly advance the Law School’s mission and vision.

Campus

The modern Rubloff Building is one of the many homes of Northwestern Law. Overlooking Lake Michigan, the building is located at the heart of Northwestern's campus and contains a law library, an atrium, a cafe, and a courtyard. It is also home to the school's many legal clinics and law journals.
Entrance to Levy Meyer Hall

Northwestern Law is located on Northwestern University's downtown campus in Chicago's Streeterville/Gold Coast neighborhood. The Law School is on Lake Shore Drive and Chicago Avenue, adjacent to Lake Shore Park and Lake Michigan, and a few blocks from the John Hancock Center, Magnificent Mile, Water Tower, Oak Street Beach, and Navy Pier.

The Law School's location in the heart of downtown Chicago provides a wealth of part-time employment options for students while in school and a spectacular setting in which to study law. The proximity to courts, commerce, and public interest activities enables students to experience the practice of law, as well as its theory, in one of the most vibrant legal and business communities in the world.

Admissions

Admission to Northwestern Law is extremely competitive. For the class entering in the fall of 2016, 821 out of 4,070 applicants (20%) were offered admission, with 213 matriculating.[10] The 25th and 75th LSAT percentiles for the 2016 entering class were 163 and 170, respectively, with a median of 168.[11] The 25th and 75th undergraduate GPA percentiles were 3.43 and 3.89, respectively, with a median of 3.81.[11]

The Law School's practical philosophy is manifested in a strong preference for applicants with at least two years of work experience. Approximately 90% of the school's students enter with at least one year of full-time work experience; 70% possess more than two years of experience.[12] In this respect, Northwestern Law is similar to many business schools.

Employment

According to U.S. News & World Report's 2017 Edition, 79% of the law school's 2016 graduates obtained prospective, full-time employment prior to graduation, with a median starting salary of $160,000.[1] According to Northwestern's official 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 91% of the Class of 2015 obtained full-time, long-term employment nine months after graduation.[8] Northwestern's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 8.8%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[13]

Northwestern Law is well-established among BigLaw firms (defined as firms with 150 or more associates). In Vault’s 2016 survey of over 15,000 BigLaw associates, Northwestern Law ranked #2 as a “feeder” school for BigLaw firms, after accounting for school size. According to Vault, Northwestern Law outperforms its expected BigLaw representation by 315%.    

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, living expenses, books, and other miscellaneous expenses) at Northwestern Law for the 2015-2016 academic year is $79,904.[1] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $292,586.[14]

2015-16 Expenses[11]
Category Per Annum
Tuition and Fees $58,398
Room and board $14,040
Books $1,418
Miscellaneous expenses $6,048
Total $79,904
Levy Mayer Hall

Journals

Northwestern Law sponsors six student-run scholarly legal journals. Student staff members are selected based on a writing competition, editing competition, and first-year grades, or a publishable note or comment on a legal topic.[15]

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The Journal of International Law and Business has a substantive focus on private international law, as opposed to public international law or human rights. It seeks scholarship analyzing transnational and international legal problems and their effect on private entities. The Journal's stated goal is to promote an understanding of the future course of international legal developments as they relate to private entities.[16]

Northwestern University Law Review

The Northwestern University Law Review was first published in 1906 when it was called the "Illinois Law Review." Prior editors include: Roscoe Pound, long-time dean of Harvard Law School; Judge Robert A. Sprecher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; Dean James A. Rahl; Illinois Governor Daniel Walker; and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Newton N. Minow; US Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevenson.

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

The Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property addresses subjects relating to law at the intersection of technology and intellectual property, including law and biotechnology, copyrights, the Internet, media, patents, telecommunications, and trademarks.

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

The School states that its Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology "is one of the most widely read and widely cited publications in the world".[17] It is the second most widely subscribed journal published by any law school in the country.[17] It is one of the most widely circulated law journals in the country.[17] The journal was founded in 1910 by Dean John Henry Wigmore.[18]

Journal of Law and Social Policy

The Journal of Law and Social Policy is an interdisciplinary journal that explores the impact of the law on different aspects of society. Topics covered include race, gender, sexual orientation, housing, immigration, health care, juvenile justice, voting rights, family law, civil rights, poverty, the environment, and privacy rights.[19]

Journal of Human Rights

The Journal of Human Rights is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to providing a dynamic forum for the discussion of human rights issues and law.[20] The Journal seeks contributions from professionals, scholars, and experienced field workers of every background, including but not limited to law, business, political science, public policy, economics, sociology, religion, and international relations. In addition to publication, the Journal seeks to promote the discussion of human rights law by organizing semi-annual Symposia and a Speaker Series. The Journal of Human Rights was founded in 2003 as the Journal of International Human Rights, but adopted its present name in 2016 to better reflect its focus.

The Pritzker Legal Research Center is home to more than 829,974 books, journals, and other publications.[21]

The Pritzker Legal Research Center fulfills the research and information needs of the faculty and students of Northwestern Law. The Center is named after the Pritzker family, a philanthropic Chicago family. Jay A. Pritzker (1922-1999) graduated from Northwestern University in 1941 and Northwestern University School of Law in 1947.

Clinical education at Northwestern dates back to the Law School’s beginnings. An innovative program developed by Dean John Henry Wigmore in 1910 with the Chicago Legal Aid Society evolved into the Legal Clinic, which opened its doors in 1969 with only two staff attorneys. In 2000, the Clinic was named for Northwestern University trustee and alum Neil Bluhm. Today, the Bluhm Legal Clinic houses more than 20 clinics within 14 centers and is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive and effective clinical programs in the country. Through the Law School's clinical program, students gain direct experience representing clients and fine-tune their skills as advocates. They also work with clinical faculty and staff to challenge the fairness of our legal institutions and to propose solutions for reform.

Center on Wrongful Convictions

The Center on Wrongful Convictions[22] (CWC) is dedicated to identifying and rectifying wrongful convictions. The Center investigates possible wrongful convictions and represents imprisoned clients with claims of actual innocence. It also focuses on raising public awareness of the prevalence, causes, and social costs of wrongful convictions and promoting reform of the criminal justice system.

Appellate Advocacy Center

The Appellate Advocacy Center includes the Federal Appellate Clinic and the Supreme Court Clinic. The Federal Appellate Clinic[23] allows third-year students to obtain provisional law licenses and argue cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Students in this clinic spend an entire year representing a criminal appellant, from merits briefing to oral argument.

The Supreme Court Clinic enables students to act as Supreme Court litigators in partnership with attorneys at Sidley Austin, including Northwestern Law alum Carter Phillips, who has argued more cases in front of the Supreme Court than any other lawyer while in private practice.

Children and Family Justice Center

The Children and Family Justice Center represents young people on matters of delinquency and crime, family violence, school discipline, health and disability, and immigration and asylum.[24] Attorneys, a social worker, and affiliated professionals help second- and third-year law students meet with clients, research legal issues, learn pretrial investigation, interviewing, and counseling skills, and litigate cases.

MacArthur Justice Center

The MacArthur Justice Center focuses its work on police misconduct, wrongful detention compensation, post-9/11 work, and other public interest and civil rights issues. Of particular note is the Guantanamo Bay detainee representation led by Joseph Margulies, author of Guantanamo and the Abuse of Presidential Power and lead counsel in Rasul v. Bush.

Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center

The Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center (DPELC),[25] founded as the Small Business Opportunity Center (SBOC), is a transactional clinic that was founded in 1998. Clients include technology executives, consultants, inventors, manufacturers and sellers of consumer products, musical groups, and persons interested in establishing nonprofit organizations.

The Center is also heavily involved in teaching in the field of entrepreneurship law, and hosts symposia and conferences to facilitate that endeavor.

Center for International Human Rights

The Center for International Human Rights works to advance human rights while enabling students to test and refine their academic learning in real cases. Stressing a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, the center provides policy perspectives to the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the U.S. Department of State, foreign governments, and nongovernmental organizations. Over the years faculty and staff working in the center have addressed, among other matters, the role of the International Criminal Court, international terrorism, U.S. death penalty laws, truth commissions, economic rights, NATO's humanitarian intervention, and political asylum cases. Students have investigated cases and had summer internships in Guatemala, Indonesia, and at the U.N. Human Rights Centre in Geneva.

The Center also offers students an opportunity to earn an LLM in Human Rights. The degree program is designed for students from transitional democracies and for those with career interests in international human rights law.

Investor Protection Center

The Investor Protection Center provides assistance to investors with limited income or small dollar claims who are unable to obtain legal representation. Law students, under the supervision of faculty attorneys, represent customers in handling their disputes with broker-dealers.

During the last few years, the (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority)(FINRA) and other organizations have taken steps to make more information and services available to investors. Northwestern Law's Investor Protection Center operates with the aid of grants from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and other organizations to focus on priority areas. In particular, the Center is focused on helping to meet the needs of women, novice investors, and the elderly, in connection with securities arbitration.

Fred Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy

Named in honor of an innovative leader[26] in litigation and business strategies, the Fred Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy was established in 1999 to conduct research and teach innovative and technologically advanced trial strategy. The Bartlit Center focuses on changes in trial craft brought on by new technologies and compensation approaches.

The Bartlit Center sponsors and conducts academic research on the litigation process; support teaching skills in the JD program; and holds national conferences to explore and teach innovative trial and trial management strategies. The Bartlit Center works to complement the Law School's program in simulation-based teaching of trial skills and builds on the research produced by Northwestern Law faculty.

Rankings and honors

The 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Grad Schools[27] ranked Northwestern Law:
  • 10th in the country Overall
Leiter's Law School Rankings placed the law school:
  • 5th in Percentage of Federal Appellate Clerkships for 2008–2009
  • 6th in Success Rate of Graduates on the Teaching Market 2006-2008
  • 9th in Student Quality
  • 10th in Total Supreme Court Clerks for 2000-2007 terms
  • 11th for Largest Gross Endowment[28]
The Princeton Review most recently[29] placed the law school:
  • 1st for Best Career Prospects
  • 7th for Toughest to Get Into
  • 9th for Best Quality of Life
  • 10th for Best Overall Academic Experience
Judging the Law Schools (2009)[30] ranked the law school:
  • 7th in the country Overall
The 2010 National Law Journal "Go-To Schools" list [31] ranked Northwestern Law:
  • 1st for Percentage of Graduates Hired by NLJ250 Firms

Notable faculty

The 2016 student/faculty ratio was 6.5 to 1.[1]

Notable Northwestern Law faculty, past and present, include:

Alumni

Selected prominent Northwestern Law alumni include:

Government / Politics

Academia

For-profit / Non-profit organizations

Firsts

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 U.S. News & World Report 2017 Edition
  2. ↑ "Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Logo and Identity".
  3. ↑ "Best Law Schools. Ranked in 2012", U.S.News & World Report, accessed April 10, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Justice Arthur Goldberg
  5. 1 2 Justice John Paul Stevens
  6. 1 2 Newton Minow
  7. 1 2 3 Harold Washington
  8. 1 2 "Employment Statistics" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "Celebrating 150 Years", Northwestern University School of Law, accessed November 1, 2010.
  10. ↑
  11. 1 2 3 U.S. News & World Report 2017 Premium Edition
  12. ↑ Northwestern Law Admissions, accessed 2013-06-14.
  13. ↑ "Northwestern University Profile".
  14. ↑ "Northwestern University Profile".
  15. ↑ Northwestern Law Journals
  16. ↑ Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, Northwestern University
  17. 1 2 3 TLS Profile on Northwestern Law
  18. ↑ Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Northwestern University
  19. ↑ Journal of Law and Social Policy, Northwestern University
  20. ↑ Journal of Human Rights, Northwestern University
  21. ↑ U.S. News & World Report LP
  22. ↑ Center on Wrongful Convictions, Bluhm Legal Clinic
  23. ↑ http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/appellate/
  24. ↑ Children and Family Justice Center ("CFJC")
  25. ↑ http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/elc/
  26. ↑ Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy
  27. ↑ http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/ca/USNews.pdf U.S. News & World Report 2016 Top Law School Rankings
  28. ↑ "Top 20 Law School Endowments", Leiter Law School, accessed September 25, 2006.
  29. ↑ "The Best 172 Law Schools", The Princeton Review, 2011.
  30. ↑ "10th Annual Judging the Law Schools is Released", Judging the Law Schools, 2009 edition, accessed May 2, 2009.
  31. ↑ http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202443758843&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1
  32. 1 2 3 "Lights, Camera, Action! New Police Drama Filmed at Northwestern Law", E-Briefs: November 2010, Northwestern University School of Law, accessed December 1, 2010.
  33. ↑ Seidman, Robert (November 3, 2010). "‘The Chicago Code’ (FKA ‘Ride Along’) Premieres Night After Super Bowl XLV, Monday, February 7". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  34. ↑ Associate Justice Simeon R. Acoba Jr.
  35. ↑ George Ball
  36. ↑ Richard Ben-Veniste
  37. ↑ The Honorable Dalveer Bhandari
  38. ↑ Judy Biggert
  39. ↑ William Jennings Bryan
  40. ↑ Dale Bumpers
  41. ↑ Chief Judge Ruben Castillo
  42. 1 2 Salem J. Chalabi
  43. ↑
  44. ↑ 'llinois Blue Book 1943-1944,' Biographical Sketch of Alfred Cilella, pg. 398-399
  45. ↑ Dennis Daugaard
  46. ↑ Richard A. Devine
  47. ↑ Edward F. Dunne
  48. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/us/specialist-in-oversight-inquiries-to-be-named-white-house-counsel.html
  49. ↑ State of Wisconsin Blue Book, Volume 1887
  50. ↑
  51. ↑ Chief Justice Jim Jones
  52. ↑ Ada Kepley
  53. ↑ The Honorable Roberto A. Lange
  54. ↑
  55. ↑ The Honorable Joan H. Lefkow
  56. ↑ Frank Orren Lowden
  57. ↑ J. Curtis McKay
  58. ↑ "Washington Governor Albert E. Mead". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  59. 1 2 Dawn Clark Netsch
  60. ↑ Honorable Roy L. Pearson
  61. ↑ Stella Awards
  62. ↑ Graham T. Perry
  63. ↑ Pat Quinn
  64. ↑ "RAILSBACK, Thomas Fisher, (1932 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  65. ↑ Henry T. Rainey
  66. ↑ Chief Justice Santos
  67. ↑ Jerry Springer
  68. ↑ A Political Guide for the Workers: Socialist Party Campaign, Book 1920, The Socialist Party of the United States, 1920, p. 15.
  69. ↑ Compendium of History and Biography of Central and Northern Minnesota, G.A. Ogle & Company, 1904, p. 143.
  70. ↑ Adlai Stevenson
  71. ↑ The Honorable Richard Tallman
  72. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, THOMSON, Charles Marsh (1877-1943)
  73. ↑ James Thompson
  74. ↑ Daniel Walker
  75. ↑ Richard E. Wiley
  76. ↑ Raoul Berger
  77. ↑ Bob Goldsborough (March 28, 2013). "George Miller Burditt Jr., former Illinois state representative, 1922–2013". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  78. ↑ G. Marcus Cole
  79. ↑ Thomas F. Geraghty
  80. ↑ Charles Kindregan
  81. ↑ Jonathan Turley
  82. ↑ Eddie Einhorn
  83. ↑ Matt Ferguson
  84. ↑ Elbert Henry Gary
  85. ↑ Goodkin, Michael. The Wrong Answer Faster: The Inside Story of Making the Machine that Trades Trillions. John Wiley & Sons, 2012
  86. ↑ Randy Kaplan
  87. 1 2 Kenesaw Mountain Landis
  88. ↑ Robert R. McCormick
  89. ↑ History of Kirkland & Ellis LLP
  90. ↑ Morgan O'Brien
  91. ↑ J.B. Pritzker
  92. ↑ Jay A. Pritzker
  93. ↑ Frank C. Rathje
  94. ↑ Jerry Reinsdorf
  95. ↑ Mark Walter
  96. ↑ Andrew Stroth
  97. ↑ Charlton Thomas Lewis, Joseph H. Willsey. "Harper's book of facts: a classified history of the world; embracing science, literature, and art". Harper & Brothers, 1895, p. 939.
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