How To Get A Law Degree At Illinois Law

Transcription

1 university of illinois college of law

2 Since 1897, the University of Illinois College of Law has offered students a rigorous, broad-ranging, and innovative legal education on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the world s great research universities.

3 Academics With a nationally renowned faculty, a rich and diverse curriculum, myriad opportunities for professional training, and the expansive resources of a world-class, comprehensive research university, Illinois Law features a first-rate academic program designed to prepare students to excel in their future professional careers. TOP-NOTCH FACULTY The Illinois faculty are known for their expertise and national visibility, their engaged approach to teaching, their open-door policy with respect to students, and their strong commitment to students professional development. They also bring a range of perspectives to their teaching and research: in addition to their juris doctors, about half of the faculty hold advanced graduate degrees in fields ranging from computer engineering to medicine. CUTTING-EDGE CURRICULUM Illinois Law s curriculum is both timely and robust. In the past few years, the College of Law has added three award-winning clinics, new courses in venture capital and microfinance, and an innovative Chicago Program, for which Illinois Law was named to the National Jurist s 2013 list of Most Innovative Law Schools. GLOBAL COMMUNITY The effective lawyer in the 21st century is a global lawyer. Illinois has particular strengths in international trade law, commercial law, and human rights law and a proud tradition of training foreign lawyers, governmental officials, and legal educators. Through the Global Law Fellows Program, students have the opportunity to work in leading foreign law offices in Asia and South America. By cultivating global awareness, Illinois builds networks and collaborations and prepares students to be at the forefront of the next generation of lawyers and legal scholars.

4 The Chicago Program The Chicago Program offers a semester-long program of Chicago-based courses and events for interested third-year students. Taught by leading practitioners and College faculty, past course offerings include International Bankruptcy, International Tax, Executive Compensation, and the Chicago Litigation Practicum a simulated federal court litigation that takes students from client interviews, through discovery, through a live motion hearing. Events and lectures are open to all third-year students, offering fantastic opportunities to network with the College s more than 4,000 Chicago-based alumni. Launched in 2012, the Chicago Program is designed to enrich the College s curriculum, expand professional opportunities for students, and involve alumni and other practitioners more closely in the College s educational mission. The Program has four principal objectives: to provide enhanced skills-related training; to broaden exposure to specialized areas of legal practice; to orient students to the global legal market; and to facilitate connections among students, alumni, and prospective employers in Chicago, the nation, and the world. Past courses have been taught in the Illini Center in downtown Chicago, the Dirksen Federal Building, The Chicago Bar Association, and in the offices of several of the nation s preeminent law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis LLP and McDermott Will & Emery. the program

5 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY LAW When it comes to top environments in which to explore intellectual property law, few compare to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an epicenter of innovation and discovery. In this fertile environment, the curriculum and faculty at the College of Law cover a deep and broad spectrum of intellectual property and technology law, including in the areas of trademark, internet, patent, copyright, supercomputing, biotechnology, information science, and engineering. Campus, state, and national leaders solicit the faculty s legal expertise on IP issues arising from a host of new technologies, and companies like Google and Microsoft currently fund research at Illinois Law. Advanced Courses in Intellectual Property and Technology Law Advanced Patent Practice Advanced Trial Advocacy: Intellectual Property Antitrust Law Current Issues in Patent Defenses Digital Forensics Entrepreneurship: Representing the Tech Startup Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition Journal of Law, Technology and Policy Patent Law Clinic Patent Prosecution Innovation Policy and Biopharmaceutical Industry Intellectual Property Transactions International Intellectual Property Patent Litigation Patent Research and Strategy Seminar Transactional IP Clinical, Experiential, and Extracurricular Opportunities in Intellectual Property and Technology Law Intellectual Property Legal Society Internet and Technology Law Association Sports and Entertainment Law Society Technology and the Law ILLINOIS CYBER SECURITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM Supported by a significant grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and capitalizing on the particular strengths of the University of Illinois in computer science, engineering, and intellectual property law, the Illinois Cyber Security Scholars Program (ICSSP) trains the next generation of specialists capable of protecting the nation s cyber infrastructure. Open to second-year students with a background in computer science or engineering, ICSSP offers students full reimbursement for tuition and fees and a living stipend. Students receive a certificate in cyber security upon completion of the program and undertake a two-year term of employment with the federal government after graduation. Through ICSSP, Illinois engineering and law students receive hands-on training from the nation s top legal and computer science experts and join an emerging field in which there is a significant shortage of knowledgeable workers with multidisciplinary backgrounds. It s a demand that is guaranteed to grow as the U.S. increasingly relies on cyber infrastructure, which provides the backbone for our defense, energy, financial, and telecommunication systems, among others. Affiliated Faculty Paul Heald, JD, MA Jay Kesan, JD, PhD Jason Mazzone, JD, MA Bruce Smith, JD, PhD Melissa Wasserman, JD, PhD Robin Fretwell Wilson, JD

6 Joint Degrees Capitalizing on the University s depth of resources, the College of Law collaborates with University graduate departments to offer multiple joint degree programs. While students must apply for admission to both programs and receive pre-approval from each department, those departments will recognize a number of credits from the corresponding program to allow students to earn both degrees in a shorter period of time. SECONDARY FIELD OF STUDY / JOINT DEGREES CONFERRED Business Administration / JD - MBA ** Chemistry / JD - MS Computer Science / JD - MCS ** Human Resources and Industrial Relations / JD - MHRIR ** Journalism / JD - MS Medicine / JD - MD Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences / JD - MS Political Science / JD - PhD; JD - MA Urban Planning / JD - MUP Veterinary Medicine / JD - DVM Interdisciplinary Study - any other degree program / JD - Master s or PhD ** Most popular joint degreees

7 Professional Training In addition to the study of legal principles, law students at Illinois Law enjoy a variety of learning opportunities that apply principles to practice. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, research, pre-trial and trial skills, negotiation, and interviewing are critical skills needed for real-world success. Encountering a breadth of practice experiences during law school also helps develop an increasingly important ability to practice law ethically and effectively in diverse cultural settings at home and around the globe. IN-HOUSE CLINICS Civil Litigation Clinic Community Preservation Clinic Conflict Resolution Clinic Elder Financial Justice Clinic Family Advocacy Clinic Federal Civil Rights Clinic FIELD PLACEMENTS Appellate Defender Appellate Prosecutor Domestic Violence Clinic Externships Innocence Project Legislative Projects Patent Law Clinic OTHER PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OFFERINGS Counseling, Fact Investigation, and Interviewing Fundamentals of Legal Practice Moot Court Negotiation Skills Trial Advocacy Trial Teams

8 Employment Stats Class of 2013 areas of legal practice Law Firms Government Business and Industry Public Interest Judicial Clerkships Academia positions by location 31% of those employed accepted positions outside of Illinois in 20 states, D.C, and 2 foreign countries. After Illinois, the largest employment states were New York and California. 60% 15% 9% 6% 6% 4% go-to law school 78.8% secured FULL-TIME, long-term positions for which a J.D. was required or preferred. In its 2014 rankings of Go-To Law Schools, the National Law Journal ranked Illinois 22nd, based on the percentage of recent graduates taking positions in the nation s largest 250 law firms. In 2012 and 2013, the majority of Illinois graduates took the Illinois State Bar. On the July 2013 administration of the Illinois State Bar exam, 96% of University of Illinois firsttime exam takers passed. In 2012, 97.7% of University of Illinois first-time test takers passed the Illinois State Bar exam. As of 2/15/14 employment 22 july % bar passage 96% 97.7% 2012

9 Career Planning Illinois Law prepares its students to succeed in a competitive legal marketplace. Recent graduates have gone on to prestigious federal and state clerkships, positions at the nation s top law firms and corporations, and high-impact public interest fellowships. Alumni include managing partners at leading international law firms; founders of cutting-edge boutiques; CEOs, CFOs, and in-house counsel at Fortune 500 companies; federal and state judges, prosecutors, and public defenders; and lawyers working in other public interest positions. OFFICE OF CAREER PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Illinois Law s Office of Career Planning and Professional Development strives to set the bar in terms of counseling, responsiveness, innovation, teamwork, market analysis, and employer outreach. Our professional staff, located in both Chicago and Champaign, consists entirely of lawyers with extensive practice experience at top law firms, government agencies, and in-house legal departments. Using their experience and judgment, our team works to prepare our students to realize their professional ambitions. PUBLIC INTEREST FELLOWSHIPS As the state s land-grant law school, Illinois Law is committed to training the next generation of public interest and government lawyers. To that end, the College has developed an innovative Public Interest Fellowship Program, designed to launch new graduates into careers as public interest and government lawyers. Fellowships range from months and offer new graduates unique opportunities to pursue careers as prosecutors, public defenders, assistant attorneys general, municipal law attorneys, in-house counsel, and legal aid attorneys across the United States.

10 Alumni Network They are federal judges, managing partners, law reformers, and public servants across the nation and across the world 10,000 members strong. Illinois alumni are not only accomplished, but also incredibly loyal, helping to mentor, teach, hire, and support students. ANDI GULLEY ( 00) A partner at Gibbs & Bruns LLP in Houston, Texas, where she is the firm s pro bono coordinator, Gulley practices high stakes commercial litigation. She began her career at Jenner & Block LLC in Chicago. PRAVIN RAO ( 95) A partner in Perkins Coie s litigation practice in Chicago and the firm-wide chair of the Investigations & White Collar Defense practice, Rao is a former assistant U.S. attorney and former SEC enforcement branch chief. MICHAEL STRAUTMANIS ( 94) Vice president of citizenship and strategic programs at The Walt Disney Company, Strautmanis served on President Obama s transition team as chief counsel and later as the deputy assistant to the president and counselor for strategic engagement to the senior advisor. CHRISTINE TURNER ( 02) Director for global supply chain security and trade facilitation at the National Security Council, Turner has held senior positions at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture and practiced securities litigation in New York City. Andi Gulley ( 00) Partner, Gibbs & Bruns LLP Houston, TX Michael Strautmanis ( 94) Vice President of Citizenship and Strategic Programs, The Walt Disney Company Los Angeles, CA Pravin Rao ( 95) Partner, Perkins Coie LLP Chicago, IL Christine Turner ( 02) Director for Global Supply Chain Security and Trade Facilitation, National Security Council Washington, DC

11 Paying for Law School Law school is a significant investment in a student s professional future. As a public law school on a land-grant university campus, Illinois Law is committed to educational accessibility, affordability, and strong return on investment. SCHOLARSHIPS All admitted students are automatically considered for scholarships, which are awarded to students who show the greatest promise for success in the study of law and their future professional endeavors. Renewal of College of Law scholarships is not conditional upon maintaining a certain grade point average or class rank. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LRAP) Illinois Law is committed to encouraging and assisting its graduates to pursue public interest careers, and LRAP gives graduates more flexibility in career selection by offering partial loan forgiveness to qualifying applicants. FINANCIAL AID Federal Direct Loans include unsubsidized Stafford and GradPLUS loans and are administered through the University s Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). Cost of Attendance Expenses for Academic Year Resident Nonresident Tuition $38,250 $46,000 Fees $3,821 $3,821 Room and Board $13,151 $13,151 Books and Supplies $1,800 $1,800 Other Expenses $2,750 $2,750 Total Cost of Attendance $59,772 $67,522 the illinois guarantee: Frozen tuition rate for all three years. Unconditional scholarships as long as the recipient remains enrolled.

12 Student Life Illinois Law students are talented and ambitious, but they also value teamwork. At Illinois, what students accomplish together is as important and as meaningful as what they accomplish themselves. This spirit serves our graduates well in their future professional positions, where they have a reputation for being effective team players. Complementing the breadth of courses and practical training is an array of opportunities for active engagement outside the classroom. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Whether it s public interest or legal relief, Illinois has more than 40 student organizations that offer opportunities for students with a variety of interests to get involved. JOURNALS Membership on a journal or other publication imparts valuable skills and advances one s legal career. Illinois students have a number of options, including serving on one of the College s three student-edited journals. LECTURES AND SYMPOSIA From the Honorable Vaughn Walker, whose ruling held California s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, to former majority leader, Senator Thomas Daschle, to the King of Internet Law, Professor Lawrence Lessig Illinois Law brings in leaders of industry to approximately 100 lectures and symposia each year. STUDENT TRIPS College-sponsored trips are an important way for students to begin applying what they learn in the classroom and see the law in action. In recent years, students have gone to Malawi to study microfinance; to Texas and Costa Rica to explore environmental law; to Memphis to restore voting rights to those with past criminal convictions; and to New Orleans to perform pro bono legal work for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

13 Top Ten College Town BIG TEN ATHLETICS Cheer on the Fighting Illini! Students enjoy home football games and tailgating with classmates at Memorial Stadium and basketball games at the State Farm Center. ACTIVITIES AND RECREATION CENTER The state-of-the-art Activities and Recreation Center is one of the premier campus recreation facilities in the country and is just steps from the law school. KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS A major center for the arts, the University of Illinois attracts dozens of nationally and internationally renowned artists each year to more than 350 performances held at the widely acclaimed Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. LIBRARIES With holdings in excess of 24 million items, the University of Illinois is home to one of the largest libraries in the world. The University also features more than 20 area-studies libraries, including the law school s Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Library, the nation s 14th largest law library. FOUR CULTURAL CENTERS Asian-American Cultural Center Bruce D. Nesbitt African-American Cultural Center La Casa Cultural Latina Native American House These centers offer the entire campus community opportunities to learn about and experience the rich historic traditions and modern living cultures that shape our world.

14 As of 4/15/14 Livability CHAMPAIGN-URBANA A micro-urban community known for its big-city amenities yet small-town affordability, accessibility, safety, and friendliness, Champaign-Urbana is dynamic and vibrant, with a lively cultural scene, a variety of restaurants, and numerous recreational opportunities. Whether you re looking for a fun college town or a family-friendly community, Champaign-Urbana has something for everyone. Named a Top Ten College Town by livability.com, Champaign-Urbana boasts an assortment of restaurants, shopping, coffee houses, nightlife (including plenty of clubs and live music venues), movie theaters, athletic facilities, museums, good schools, and award-winning park facilities and programs. HOUSING Whether you re looking for a quiet tree-lined neighborhood or the bustle of a larger apartment complex, you ll find an array of rental options in Champaign-Urbana at affordable costs. The majority of College of Law students live in off-campus housing; however, the University of Illinois has a limited number of graduate and family housing units available. GETTING AROUND Champaign-Urbana s award-winning mass transit bus system (MTD) covers the majority of the twin cities and is free to students. With a convenient schedule to and from the law school, it s a great option and very popular. For those who prefer to bike, the flat terrain, miles of bike-only paths, and a growing number of bike lanes on shared roads make it easy to get around on bicycle. Each MTD bus is also equipped with an easy-touse bike rack. 3 1 livability.com 2 bestplaces.net 3 apartmentratings.com fast facts 1Named Top 10 College Town 1 in about c-u < 3-hour drive to Chicago, Indy, and St. Louis Cost of living is 3.6% lower 2 than the U.S. average Average rent for 2-bedroom is $696 3 / 1-bedroom is $679 3

15 law.illinois.edu