Academic Requirements and Curriculum

The Juris Doctor (JD) program consists of three components: 10 core courses which must be taken first, additional required courses that can be taken any time after the core courses are completed, and experiential learning through a clinic or externship. View required courses below:

General Requirements

JD courses, listed on the proposed degree track in this chart provide students with a fundamental store of knowledge and skills related to substantive legal concepts and rules, including analysis of cases, statutes, and other sources of law; recognition of relevant facts from a mass of raw data; effective oral and written communication; advocacy; and organization and management of legal work and ideas.

Remaining credit hours for the JD are fulfilled by selecting electives from substantive areas of law.

To successfully earn a JD from UIC Law, degree candidates must:

  • Earn credit for at least 90 semester hours of law study
  • Obtain an overall GPA of 2.25 or better, and
  • Earn a minimum of 3 clinical and/or externship credit hours.

Required Curriculum for Full-Time Day Program

Core Courses for the JD Degree

  • Contracts I* (3 credits)
  • Property* (4 credits)
  • Torts* (4 credits)
  • Lawyering Skills I* (3 credits)
  • Expert Learning* (1 credit)
  • Contracts II* (3 credits)
  • Civil Procedure I* (3 credits)
  • Criminal Law* (3 credits)
  • Constitutional Law I* (3 credits)
  • Lawyering Skills II* (3 credits)

Additional Required Courses for the JD Degree

  • Civil Procedure II (3 credits)
  • Constitutional Law II (3 credits)
  • Trial Advocacy‡ (3)
  • Evidence† or Trial Lawyer: Evidence (4 Credits)
  • Lawyering Skills III (2 Credits)
  • Lawyering Skills IV (2-3 Credits)
  • Professional Responsibility† (3 Credits)

Experiential Learning Requirement

  • Experiential Learning†: Clinic/Externship (3 Fieldwork or Clinic Credits)

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* – Credit in these courses is required before students can register for upper-level required and elective courses.

† – These required courses may be taken at any time during a student’s second or third year. Evidence is a prerequisite to Trial Advocacy. Trial Lawyer: Evidence and Trial Lawyer: Advocacy must be taken together and may be taken in lieu of Evidence and Trial Advocacy.

‡ – For students who began their JD studies on or after August 26, 2019, Trial Advocacy, although an important part of the JD curriculum, is no longer a required course. Students who began their JD studies before August 26, 2019, must successfully complete Trial Advocacy, Trial Lawyer: Advocacy, or Accelerated Trial Advocacy in order to earn a JD degree.

Full-Time Day or Part-Time Evening JD Track

Estimated Completion: 6 Semesters

First Semester (15 Hours)

  • Contracts I* (3)
  • Property* (4)
  • Torts* (4)
  • Lawyering Skills I* (3)
  • Expert Learning* (1)

Second Semester (15 Hours)

  • Contracts II* (3)
  • Civil Procedure I* (3)
  • Criminal Law* (3)
  • Constitutional Law I* (3)
  • Lawyering Skills II* (3)

Third Semester (15 Hours)

  • Civil Procedure II (3)
  • Constitutional Law II (3)
  • Lawyering Skills III (2)
  • Evidence† (4) & Electives (3) or
  • Trial Lawyer: Evidence (4) & Trial Lawyer: Advocacy‡ (3)

Fourth Semester (15 Hours)

  • Professional Responsibility† (3)
  • Experiential Learning† (Clinic or Externship) (3-5)
  • Electives (7-9)

Fifth Semester (15 Hours)

  • Lawyering Skills IV (2)
  • Trial Advocacy‡ (3)
  • Electives (10)

Sixth Semester (15 Hours)

  • Electives (15)
Legend

*– Credit in these courses is required before students can register for upper-level required and elective courses.

† – These required courses may be taken at any time during a student’s second or third year. Evening students may also take Professional Responsibility before this time during a summer term after completing all courses listed in this part-time evening track in the first through fourth semester. Evidence is a prerequisite to Trial Advocacy. Trial Lawyer: Evidence and Trial Lawyer: Advocacy must be taken together and may be taken in lieu of Evidence and Trial Advocacy.

‡ – For students who began their JD studies on or after August 26, 2019, Trial Advocacy, although an important part of the JD curriculum, is no longer a required course. Students who began their JD studies before August 26, 2019, must successfully complete Trial Advocacy, Trial Lawyer: Advocacy, or Accelerated Trial Advocacy in order to earn a JD degree.

Growing and Emerging Industries

As the world evolves, so does the needs of the clients and communities we serve. With many changes effecting both international and domestic law, and with the emergence of newer and more sophisticated technology, our UIC Law curriculum specializes in equipping rising attorneys with the knowledge and tools needed to make an impact in an ever-changing society. See how our UIC Law community is keeping students ahead of the curve within growing and emerging industries below.

Find Your Purpose Explore JD Concentrations

Explore Special Topic Courses

As the world evolves, so does the needs of the clients and communities we serve. With many changes effecting both international and domestic law, and with the emergence of newer and more sophisticated technology, our UIC Law curriculum specializes in equipping rising attorneys with the knowledge and tools needed to make an impact in fast-growing industries. Take a look at a few special topic classes available to students after their 1L year.

Explore More View All Special Topics

Joint Degree Opportunities with UIC

Joint degree programs at UIC

UIC Law is continuing to develop new interdisciplinary dual-degree, certificate, and other programs to capitalize on the University of Illinois Chicago’s traditional strengths in health sciences, public administration, and business. Students can develop advanced expertise and practical skills in a market relevant practice area with our Joint JD/Graduate Degree program, or expand their knowledge and professional arena with a professional certificate.

International Programs

International Opportunities at UIC Law

Recognizing the value of robust, international perspectives in the law and law practice, UIC Law provides a variety of international study abroad opportunities for current students, including semester-long exchange programs created in collaboration with renowned international partner schools.

Students participating in these exchange programs earn academic credit towards their UIC Law degree while studying abroad.

Additional Academic Support

UIC Law offers a variety of academic support resources designed to help students thrive. From one-on-one advising and community legal clinics to writing assistance and mentorship, our services provide students with the tools they need to excel at every stage of their legal education.

The Office of Academic Achievement and Bar Preparation offers personalized support to law students at any stage in their law school journey. One-on-one academic advising can be used as either an intervention or a preventative measure to keep students on track.

Expert Learning is a required 1 credit hour course that covers essential study strategies, lawyering skills, exam taking techniques, behaviors, and mindsets fundamental to students’ overall success in law school and beyond.

The UIC Law JD Externship Program experience offers students the opportunity to further refine their essential lawyering skills while working for a judge, non-profit organization, or government agency.

Stand out from the rest by learning skills acquired from our nationally ranked and award-winning honors programs.

The Lawyering Skills Program teaches students many practical skills, including legal reasoning, legal research, oral advocacy, drafting, and counseling, and is among the leading and most-comprehensive research/writing programs in the nation.

The Writing Resource Center team coaches students in one-on-one sessions, offers group workshops, and provides useful resources to elevate legal writing and ignite curiosity for learning in an equitable and student-driven environment.