John Marshall Law School

The John Marshall Law School in Chicago is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago’s legal, financial, and commercial districts. The federal courthouse is across the street and the nation’s largest circuit court — Cook County — is just a few blocks away, as are many government offices. This proximity offers John Marshall students educational and career opportunities.

The school has nationally-ranked trial advocacy (5th in nation, 2007), legal writing (6th in nation, 2007), and intellectual property programs (top 25 nationally). John Marshall also offers the nation’s only graduate program in employee benefits, one of the first ever in information technology and privacy law, and one of only two in the nation in real estate law. The John Marshall Law School is also the first independent law school established in the United States (1899).

John Marshall has day and evening divisions, with identical instruction, course content, and scholastic requirements. Lawyering Skills courses, which focus on writing, research, and oral argument, are an integral part of the core curriculum. These courses are taught in small groups, to maximize the individual attention given to each student. A student may specialize in a certain area of the law and receive a certificate, or focus more emphatically and earn a joint degree (J.D./LL.M.).

The school also offers Master of Science (M.S.) programs for working professionals and other individual students.

The law school's Global Legal Studies Program is primarily designed for lawyers and law students from other countries, and students enrolled in the program can receive a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree.

Practical legal experience plays a vital role in education at The John Marshall Law School. John Marshall is one of the few law schools in the nation with a training program in fair housing law and enforcement. Other clinical programs include: intellectual property law, immigration law, employee benefits law, tax law, prosecution, defense, and municipal and state government work.

The John Marshall Law School offers seven Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs for attorneys seeking specialized education in legal issues and for current J.D. students who would like the maximum concentration in particular areas of the law. As the largest graduate law school in the Midwest, John Marshall offers a comprehensive curriculum in the following areas: Employee Benefits Law, Information Technology and Privacy Law, Intellectual Property Law, Global Legal Studies, International Business and Trade Law, Real Estate Law, and Tax Law.

The Louis L. Biro Law Library collection includes more than 375,000 volumes and 2000 audiovisual tapes and also serves as the library resource for the Chicago Bar Association, whose headquarters building is next door. The John Marshall Law School was the first law school in Chicago to teach legal research on computers. The library has more than 100 IBM-compatible computers available for student use. John Marshall has a school-wide computer network with a backbone of high-speed, digital fiber-optic cabling that allows students, faculty, and staff access to word processing software, LexisNexis, Westlaw, CALI, and the Internet. In addition, a wireless network has been added to the backbone, allowing laptop users, anywhere in the school, to connect to the Internet without being tethered by cords. Computerized research and reference resources are also available to students through the law school’s website.

The Career Services Office (CSO) offers personal assistance to help students assess and refine their career goals. The CSO sponsors more than 60 career-related programs each year, many featuring alumni as panelists and speakers. The CSO also implements a robust Alumni Mentor Program, where mentors meet with students one-on-one to provide real-world advice on practice areas, law school courses, and the day-to-day practice of law. The CSO also aggressively promotes John Marshall students to employers. Despite the continuing tight job market, the number of John Marshall graduates entering large firms increased in 2002, as did the median salary of graduates entering private practice. John Marshall graduates are employed at 34 of Chicago’s 35 largest firms. Public service is another favored career path, with graduates serving as attorneys in the courts and government. Nearly one-fifth of all Illinois judges are John Marshall alumni (circuit, appellate, and state Supreme Court).

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WWW.JMLS.EDU

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