DePaul University College of Law

DePaul University College of Law
Name	DePaul University College of Law
Established	1912
Type	Private law school
Parent	DePaul University
City	Chicago
State	Illinois
Country	United States

DePaul University College of Law is a private law school in Chicago, Illinois, offering Juris Doctor and advanced law degrees. The college emphasizes experiential learning, public interest practice, and professional development within an urban context near the Loop and legal institutions. It maintains ties with courts, bar associations, and civic organizations across Cook County and the Midwest.

History

Founded in 1912, the college emerged amid Progressive Era reforms alongside entities such as the Chicago Board of Education, Cook County Circuit Court, and neighborhoods like Lincoln Park. Early faculty included graduates of Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School, while graduates entered practice with firms connected to the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and municipal agencies like the Chicago Transit Authority. During the mid-20th century the college expanded in response to shifts following the New Deal and World War II, linking clinical work to institutions such as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and serving clients at community centers modeled after programs inspired by the War on Poverty. Later decades saw curricular reforms influenced by national debates at forums like the AALS Annual Meeting and accreditation standards set by the American Bar Association.

Academics and Programs

The college offers the Juris Doctor alongside Master of Laws tracks and joint degrees with partner schools including Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, College of Commerce, and programs that coordinate with entities such as Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law through cross-registration and symposiums. Core courses cover subjects taught historically at courts like the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and examine statutes influenced by cases from the Illinois Supreme Court and federal precedents from the Supreme Court of the United States. Specialized programs include concentrations in litigation connected to the Chicago Bar Association, transactional practice related to the Securities and Exchange Commission and Chicago Board Options Exchange, and public interest pathways working with organizations such as Legal Aid Chicago and the ACLU of Illinois.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions decisions reference credentials from feeder institutions including University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Michigan State University, Indiana University Bloomington, and national applicants from Georgetown University. Standard metrics align with American Bar Association guidance and are compared in rankings by publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The National Jurist, and specialty lists from Above the Law and Princeton Review. The college evaluates applicants’ prior achievements reflected in transcripts from schools like Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, and leadership in organizations such as AmeriCorps and fellowships similar to the Rothenberg Presidential Fellowship.

Campus and Facilities

Located near the Loop, Chicago and adjacent to institutions like the Chicago City Hall, the campus features facilities that support moot courts modeled on competitions such as the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the National Moot Court Competition. The library holds collections with treatises used by practitioners at firms that appear before the United States Supreme Court and materials relevant to litigation at the Seventh Circuit. Classrooms and clinical spaces are proximate to courthouses including the Daley Center and clerkships associated with judges from the Northern District of Illinois. Student amenities draw visitors from cultural neighbors like the Art Institute of Chicago and professional partners including the Chicago Bar Association’s CLE programs.

Clinical Programs and Centers

Clinical offerings place students in practice settings affiliated with nonprofit providers such as Legal Aid Society, advocacy groups like the National Immigration Project, and governmental partners including the Cook County Public Defender’s Office and the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Centers host symposiums and research aligned with the work of organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, and the KOREAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS; they support litigation, policy clinics, transactional clinics, and externships with entities like the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and the Illinois Attorney General’s office. The centers publish scholarship in collaboration with law reviews and institutions like the American Law Institute.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations include chapters and teams that interact with groups such as the Federalist Society, American Constitution Society, National Lawyers Guild, and student-run journals that reference formats used by the Harvard Law Review and the Columbia Law Review. Competitive teams prepare for competitions including the Moot Court National Championship, competitions hosted by the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl and negotiation contests connected to the ABA Negotiation Competition. Social and professional events partner with networks like the Chicago Bar Foundation, alumni groups with ties to firms headquartered in the Chicago Loop, and affinity organizations such as the Hispanic National Bar Association and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have held positions alongside figures and institutions such as judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, legislators serving in the Illinois General Assembly, executives at corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and leaders in nonprofits like Catholic Charities USA. Graduates have argued before the Supreme Court of the United States, served in administrations including the Clinton administration and Obama administration, and joined legal teams at firms that litigate matters in venues like the Northern District of Illinois and international arbitrations administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Category:Law schools in Illinois