Curricular Advising FAQ

  1. What are Northwestern Law's JD graduation requirements?
  2. How can I tell how much progress I've made toward graduation?
  3. I am on a law journal. How can I meet the academic writing requirement during my second or third year?
  4. I am NOT on a law journal. How can I meet the academic writing requirement during my second or third year?
  5. What is a "seminar"?
  6. What is the minimum number of credits I must take in any given semester?
  7. What is the maximum number of credits I can take in any given semester?
  8. Is there a limit to how many credits I can earn outside the law school classroom (e.g. field placements/externships, coursework at other schools within the University) or away from campus (e.g. study abroad, immersion programs, etc.)?
  9. I am a first-year law student. Will I be able to choose any elective courses?
  10. I am a second (or third) year law student. I passed all of my required first-year courses. Are any other courses required for graduation?
  11. When reviewing the course listings on CAESAR, how will I know if a course is designated as an Experiential Learning elective?
  12. Are there any "core" courses that I should take before graduation to be a well-rounded attorney?
  13. Does Northwestern Law offer courses to prepare students for the Bar Exam?
  14. Does Northwestern Law have a summer session?
  15. Do Northwestern Law students have opportunities to focus their studies on a specific area of law?
  16. What is Senior Research?
  17. What is Independent Study?
  18. What is the MPRE?
  19. What courses offer opportunities for hands-on legal work and exposure to clients?
  20. Are there limits on how many clinics or practicum courses I can take?
  21. I would like to study abroad for a semester. What programs does Northwestern Law offer and whom do I contact about them?
  • What are Northwestern Law's JD graduation requirements?

    To graduate with a JD, you must:

    • Earn 85 semester credit hours during 6 to 7 full-time semesters in residence at Northwestern Law. (You may not exceed 17 credits in any one semester.)
    • Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25, or at least 2.0, if two-thirds of all grades are C+ or better.
    • Earn credit for the following required courses:
      • All required first-year courses
      • Legal Ethics Elective (from a list of such courses identified on CAESAR as such)
      • Perspective Elective (effective with the Class of 2022, this is no longer required)
      • 6 credits of Experiential Learning (from a list of courses identified on CAESAR as such)
    • Complete the academic writing requirement during the second or third year (see below)
    • Complete education designated by the Law School on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism (1) at the start of the program of legal education, and (2) at least once again before graduation. For students engaged in law clinics or field placements, the second educational occasion will take place before, concurrently with, or as part of their enrollment in clinical or field placement courses. Transfer students are assumed to have completed the initial experience at their 1L school and are required to complete the second at Northwestern.

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  • How can I tell how much progress I've made toward graduation?

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  • I am on a law journal. How can I meet the academic writing requirement during my second or third year?

    You may be able to meet the academic writing requirement if (1) you satisfactorily complete a faculty-supervised note on a Journal and (2) successfully complete a course that meets the Professional Writing requirement (designated as such on CAESAR). Please contact law-registrar@law.northwestern.edu for more information about the requirements of a faculty-supervised note.

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  • I am NOT on a law journal. How can I meet the academic writing requirement during my second or third year?

    If you are a JD, JD-LLM, or JD-PhD, you will meet the academic writing requirement if you do these two things:

    • Complete a Research Writing course (designated as such on CAESAR) or at least 4 credits of Senior Research or at least 3 credits of Independent Study AND
    • Complete a Professional Writing course (designated as such on CAESAR)

    If you are a JDMBA or a 2-Year-JD, you will meet the academic writing requirement if you do one of two things:

    • Complete a Research Writing course (designated as such on CAESAR) or at least 4 credits of Senior Research or at least 3 credits of Independent Study OR
    • Complete a Professional Writing course (designated as such on CAESAR)

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  • What is a "seminar"?

    Seminar courses are small (15-25 students) classes that focus on a fairly narrow are of the law and in which students are assessed through paper(s) rather than exams. Seminar courses are open to 2Ls and/or 3Ls. Seminar courses are discussion-heavy, and class participation plays a substantial role in the student's final grade.

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  • What is the minimum number of credits I must take in any given semester?

    A JD at Northwestern is enrolled full-time if s/he is enrolled in 9 credits/semester. However, if you are receiving financial aid, you should contact the Financial Aid Office for more information on the minimum load required by your financial aid provider.

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  • What is the maximum number of credits I can take in any given semester?

    You may take no more than 17 credits of coursework in any given semester. Thus, in planning your schedule, be sure to keep the limit in mind so that you will have sufficient credits to graduate on time.

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  • Is there a limit to how many credits I can earn outside the law school classroom (e.g. field placements/externships, coursework at other schools within the University) or away from campus (e.g. study abroad, immersion programs, etc)?

    Students may earn no more than a total of 20 semester credit hours toward the number of credit hours required for a JD degree from enrollments in the following curricular opportunities outside the law school classroom:

    • Coursework outside the Law School (e.g. graduate level courses at another school within the University approved by the Registrar) (Max of 10 credits)
    • Externships/Field Placements
      • For each Practicum course, students will still earn a total of four semester credit hours. Two of the four credits earned are attributable to the field placement portion of the course, and two credits are attributable to the weekly seminar portion of the course.   Only the field placement credits are counted towards the 20 credit maximum number of credits earned outside the law school classroom.
      • For each Intensive Semester Practicum course, students will still earn a total of twelve semester credit hours.  Nine of the twelve credits earned are attributable to the field placement portion of the course, and three credits are attributable to the weekly seminar portion of the course.  Only the field placement credits are counted towards the 20 credit maximum number of credits earned outside the law school classroom.
    • Summer Research Internships (2 credits per course, 1 course per summer)

      Courses that are co-listed in our curriculum and another graduate program within the University and thus offered for registration through Law Bidding are not subject to this enrollment limitation.

      JD students may complete only one semester-long immersion opportunity (e.g. San Francisco or LA immersions); and no more than 30 credits in semester study away from the Chicago campus, which includes the combined total of credits earned in the Immersion Programs, Senior Research field research, Intensive Practicum, Study Abroad, and similar programs.

      JD students who transfer to the law school after their first year, 2-Year-JD students, and JDMBA students may complete only one semester-long immersion opportunity (e.g. San Francisco or LA immersions); and no more than 16 credits in semester study away from the Chicago campus, which includes the combined total of credits earned in the Immersion Programs, Senior Research field research, Intensive Practicum, and similar programs; and these students may not participate in Study Abroad.

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  • I am a first-year law student. Will I be able to choose any elective courses?
    In the spring semester, 1L students choose two elective courses from a list of "open" electives identified on CAESAR. Effective with the Fall 2019 start, 1Js are enrolled in Business Associations and choose one elective.  You may not take an elective that is not designated as "open" to first-year law students. You are responsible for ensuring that you have bid only on "open" electives.

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  • I am a second (or third) year law student. I passed all of my required first-year courses. Are any other courses required for graduation?
    Beyond the first year, the only required courses are:
    • A Perspective Elective (effective with the Class of 2022 forward, this is no longer required)
    • A Legal Ethics Elective
    • 6 credits from courses marked as Experiential Learning in CAESAR
    • Coursework to satisfy the academic writing requirement

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  • When reviewing the course listings on CAESAR, how will I know if a course is designated as an Experiential Learning elective?
    If you are scrolling through the course listings for a given term, you can find course designations in the Course Attributes section at the bottom of a course description.

    If you are conducting a search for classes on CAESAR, you can conduct an advanced search for  Experiential Learning electives, or Research / Professional Writing seminars. Please view the Law School Class Search Tutorial for further assistance.

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  • Are there any "core" courses that I should take before graduation to be a well-rounded attorney?
    Classes that are not required, but fall into the "core" course category and provide a well-rounded legal education, include:
    • Evidence
    • Administrative Law
    • Basic Federal Income Tax
    • Business Associations or Corporations
    • Estates and Trusts
    • Civil Procedure II or Federal Jurisdiction
    • International or Comparative Law
    • Intellectual Property
    • Employment Law
Additionally, the following classes help students build the foundational skills necessary to successful law practice:
    • Negotiation/Mediation
    • Introduction to Trial Advocacy
    • Advanced Legal Writing or Contract Drafting

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  • Does Northwestern Law offer courses to prepare students for the Bar Exam?
    Northwestern Law does not offer a course that prepares students for the Bar Exam. Students may take courses that cover subjects that will be tested on the Bar Exam, but they are not required to do so before graduation. In the summer after graduation, you may complete a commercial bar exam preparation course that will teach you all of the subjects you will need to know to sit for the exam. If you are worried about learning all of the topics in a single preparatory course, please contact the Curriculum Advisor for advice on course selection.

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  • Does Northwestern Law have a summer session?
    Northwestern Law has a very limited summer session.  Students register for Summer classes on a first-come, first-serve basis. Summer courses count toward total credits and GPA, but do not count toward the 6-7 semesters "in residence." In other words, you may not use summer credits toward your residence requirement or to graduate early. Students are not charged additional tuition to enroll during the Summer and may enroll in up to two courses.  Summer Research Internship counts as one course for enrollment purposes.

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  • Do Northwestern Law students have opportunities to focus their studies on a specific area of law?
    Students interested in pursuing practice-specific areas of study may complete an academic concentration. Northwestern Law offers six academic concentrations:
    • Appellate
    • Business Enterprise
    • Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution
    • Environmental Law
    • International Law
    • Law and Social Policy
Each concentration's course work varies, but all require students to complete required, basic courses; to complete at least 16 credit hours of related course study; and to complete at least one substantial research and writing project. Students who complete a concentration will receive a notation to this effect on their transcript if they apply for it with the Registrar. Concentrations are optional; they are not required. Please visit the Concentrations page for more information.

If you prefer a less intensive area-specific curricular focus and do not wish to complete an academic concentration, you may conduct an "Additional Search Criteria" search on CAESAR for law practice areas and subjects. This feature provides a listing of all courses related to specific practice areas, such as administrative law, employment and labor law, family law, international law, real estate law, intellectual property law, and civil and human rights. For assistance using this feature, please click here.

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  • What is Senior Research?
    The Owen L. Coon/James A. Rahl Senior Research Program allows third-year law students to conduct in depth, supervised legal research leading to a paper of publishable quality. Students work one-on-one with a faculty member. Senior research is 4-12 credits over 1-2 semesters (minimum of 4 credits in the first semester, maximum 8 in any semester). To participate in the program, you must find a professor to work with and obtain approval from the Director of Senior Research.

    For more information about putting together a Senior Research proposal and the Intensive Research Semester option, please consult the Senior Research Rules.

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  • What is Independent Study?
    Independent Study is an excellent option for students who wish to write a paper with a professor, but do not plan to produce a paper with the length and depth contemplated by the Sr. Research program. 

    An Independent Study is for either two units (a paper of approximately 20 pages) or three units (a paper of approximately 30 pages). The three-unit paper must make an argument based on research conducted by the student and must involve at least two drafts, the second of which incorporates feedback from the professor. As such, the three-unit paper will satisfy the research writing requirement (assuming the paper receives a passing grade). The two-unit Independent Study does not satisfy any graduation requirement.

 

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What is the MPRE?

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a test required for bar admission in all jurisdictions. The test is a sixty question, two-hour, multiple-choice examination. The Legal Ethics course will help prepare you for this test, but you may also enroll in a commercial MPRE prep course. The test is administered three times each year, in March, August, and November. For more information on the MPRE, please consult the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) page.

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  • What courses offer opportunities for hands-on legal work and exposure to clients?
    Second and third-year law students can gain hands-on law practice experience by taking Bluhm Legal Clinic courses and Practicum courses. Clinics and practicum courses combine in-class course work with out-of-class legal work.

    Clinic students work with clinical faculty and staff to represent clients as well as challenge the fairness of legal institutions and propose solutions for reform. Clinic students regularly prepare briefs, examine witnesses, present evidence, and argue cases, although only 3Ls may obtain a "711" license and appear on a client's behalf in court. Bluhm Legal clinic programs include the Children and Family Justice Center, Small Business Opportunity Center (SBOC), Center for International Human Rights, Center on Wrongful Convictions, the MacArthur Justice Center, the Investor Protection Center, and the Bartlit Center for Trial Strategy. Additional simulation-based programs include: the Program on Civil Litigation, the Program on Advocacy and Professionalism, the Program on Negotiation and Mediation, and the Appellate Advocacy Program.

    Clinics courses are four credits for 2Ls and 3Ls. Please visit the Bluhm Legal Clinic page for more information.

    Practicum courses (also called "externships") offer similar hands-on experience but place students in legal settings outside of the law school. Practicum students typically meet once a week in class and also spend several hours per week working in government offices, judges' chambers, non-profit organizations, or companies. Northwestern Law offers many different practicum courses, including the judicial practicum, the public interest practicum, the civil government practicum, the corporate counsel practicum, and the criminal law practicum.

    Practicum courses are four credits for 2Ls and 3Ls. Please visit the Center for Externships site for more information on practicum courses.

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  • Are there limits on how many clinics or practicum courses I can take?
    While there is no official limit on the number of clinics or practicum courses a student can take, students may not take more than one clinic per semester or one practicum per semester.  Students may not enroll in both a practicum and a clinic during the same semester without the written permission of both the clinic and practicum professors.

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  • I would like to study abroad for a semester. What programs does Northwestern Law offer and whom do I contact about them?
    Northwestern Law has several study abroad programs for second and third-year law students. Students may study abroad in either the fall or the spring. Informational meetings on study abroad programs take place early in each semester.

    For more information about studying abroad, please contact the Director of International Programs. You may also consult the Study Abroad page for information about overseas opportunities.

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