Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Motto	Quaecumque sunt vera (Latin) Ὁ Λόγος πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας - Ho logos pleres charitos kai aletheias (Greek) Whatsoever things are true (Philippians 4:8 AV) The word full of grace and truth (Gospel of John 1:14)
Established	1859 (as law department of the Old University of Chicago) 1873 (as Union College of Law) 1891 (as Northwestern University School of Law) 2015 (current name)
School type	Private law school
Parent endowment	US $10.19 billion
Dean	Hari M. Osofsky
Location	Chicago, Illinois, U.S. 41°53′47″N 87°37′03″W / 41.8963°N 87.6174°W / 41.8963; -87.6174
Enrollment	658
Faculty	190
USNWR ranking	9th (tie) (2024)
Bar pass rate	92% (2017)
ABA profile	ABA Standard 509

The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is a special school for studying law. It is part of Northwestern University, which is a private university focused on research. This law school is located in Chicago, Illinois. Many people think Northwestern Law is one of the top 14 best law schools in the United States.

It was started in 1859 and was the first law school in Chicago. Many famous people have studied here. These include governors of different states, two Supreme Court justices (Arthur Goldberg and John Paul Stevens), and Harold Washington, who was the first Black Mayor of Chicago.

History of the Law School

The school we now know as Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law began in 1859. It was the very first law school in Chicago. Back then, it was the law department of the Old University of Chicago. It started with 23 students.

In 1873, the law school teamed up with Northwestern University and became known as Union College of Law. Later, in 1891, Northwestern University took full control, and it was officially named Northwestern University School of Law.

During the 1900s, the school added new programs. These programs helped it stay one of the best law schools in America. In 2015, the school got its current name, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. This happened after J. B. Pritzker and his wife, M.K. Pritzker, gave a large gift of $100 million to the school.

Campus Location

The modern Rubloff Building is part of the law school in Chicago. It looks out over Lake Michigan.

Northwestern Law is located in downtown Chicago. It's in a lively area called Streeterville/Gold Coast. The law school is right by Lake Shore Drive and Chicago Avenue. It's also very close to Lake Michigan and many famous Chicago landmarks. These include the John Hancock Center, the Magnificent Mile, and Navy Pier.

Being in the heart of downtown Chicago is great for students. It means they can find part-time jobs easily while they study. It also lets them see how law works in real life, not just in books. They are close to courts, businesses, and public service groups.

Entrance to Levy Meyer Hall

Becoming a Student

Getting into Northwestern Law is quite difficult because many people want to study there. For the class that started in 2021, about 14 out of every 100 students who applied were accepted. Only 234 students actually enrolled that year.

Students who get in usually have very good test scores and grades. For example, most students had high scores on the LSAT (a special test for law school) and high college grades (GPA).

The school likes students who have worked for at least two years before applying. This is because they believe real-world experience helps students in their law studies. About 90% of students have at least one year of work experience, and 70% have more than two years.

Life After Graduation

Northwestern Law graduates often find great jobs quickly. For example, 94% of the 2021 graduates had full-time jobs before they even finished school. Their average starting salary was very high.

The school is well-known for sending its graduates to "BigLaw" firms. These are very large law firms with many lawyers. Northwestern Law is considered one of the top schools for getting jobs at these big firms. In recent years, it has ranked among the top schools for placing graduates in the 100 largest law firms in the country.

The law school has about 985 students in different law programs. It also has many expert teachers who do research. There are very few students for each teacher, which means students get a lot of personal attention.

What It Costs

Going to Northwestern Law costs a lot of money. For the 2022-2023 school year, the total cost was about $104,564. This includes tuition, fees, living expenses, books, and other costs.

Levy Mayer Hall

Pritzker Legal Research Center

The Pritzker Legal Research Center has over 829,974 books and other materials.

The Pritzker Legal Research Center is the law school's library. It helps students and teachers find all the information they need for their studies and research. The library is named after the Pritzker family, who are known for their generous giving in Chicago. Jay A. Pritzker, a member of the family, studied at Northwestern University and its law school.

Bluhm Legal Clinic

The Bluhm Legal Clinic is a special part of the law school where students get real-world experience. It started in 1910 and has grown a lot since then. In 2000, it was named after Neil Bluhm, a supporter of Northwestern University.

Today, the Clinic has more than 20 different programs. It is known as one of the best places for students to learn by doing. Students work with lawyers and staff to help real clients. They also try to make the legal system fairer.

Center on Wrongful Convictions

The Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) works to help people who have been wrongly found guilty of crimes. They look into cases where someone might be innocent and represent clients who are in prison but say they didn't do it. The Center also teaches people about why wrongful convictions happen and how to fix the justice system.

Appellate Advocacy Center

This center helps students learn about appealing court decisions. When someone loses a case, they can sometimes ask a higher court to review it.

Federal Appellate Clinic

In this clinic, students research cases for federal appeals courts across the country. They might work on cases about immigration or other important federal issues. Sometimes, students even get to argue cases in front of a federal appeals court.

Supreme Court Clinic

In this clinic, students work with experienced lawyers to prepare cases for the Supreme Court of the United States. This is the highest court in the country. They work on many different types of cases, including those about international law and civil rights.

Children and Family Justice Center

This center helps young people and families with legal problems. They work on cases about youth crime, family violence, school issues, health, and immigration. Students at the center meet with clients, research legal questions, and learn how to handle cases.

MacArthur Justice Center

The MacArthur Justice Center focuses on important civil rights issues. This includes problems like police misconduct and helping people who were wrongly held. They work to protect people's basic rights.

Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center

This center helps people who are starting new businesses or projects. It's like a law firm for entrepreneurs. Students help clients with legal tasks like setting up a company or dealing with contracts. They also teach about business law.

Center for International Human Rights

This center works to protect human rights around the world. Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person. Students learn about international law and work on real cases. They might help governments or organizations with human rights issues.

Investor Protection Center

The Investor Protection Center helps people who have problems with their investments. They mainly help those with lower incomes or smaller claims who can't easily get legal help. Students, supervised by lawyers, help people solve their disputes with financial companies.

Fred Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy

This center helps students learn how to be great trial lawyers. A trial lawyer presents cases in court. The center teaches new and modern ways to handle trials, especially with new technology. They also do research on how trials work.

Rankings and Achievements

Northwestern Law is often ranked as one of the best law schools. Here are some of its rankings:

• U.S. News & World Report (2021) ranked it 9th overall in the country.
• Above the Law (2019) ranked it 4th overall.
• Leiter's Law School Rankings placed it high for things like:

* 5th for students getting jobs as federal appellate court clerks (helpers for judges). * 6th for graduates becoming law professors.

• The Princeton Review (2007) gave it top marks for:

* 1st for Best Career Prospects (meaning good job opportunities). * 7th for Toughest to Get Into.

• The National Law Journal (2010) ranked it 1st for the percentage of graduates hired by the largest law firms.

Well-Known Teachers

Many famous and important legal experts have taught at Northwestern Law, including:

• Ronald J. Allen
• Steven Calabresi
• Steven Drizin
• Leon Green
• Charles T. McCormick
• Newton Minow
• Roscoe Pound
• David S. Ruder
• David Scheffer
• John Henry Wigmore

In Movies and TV

Northwestern Law has appeared in popular media:

• The TV show The Chicago Code filmed scenes on the Northwestern Law campus. Classrooms were used as offices for the show.
• In the movie The Judge, Robert Downey Jr. plays a lawyer who graduated from Northwestern Law.
• Professors Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider were featured in the 2016 Netflix documentary Making a Murderer. They worked to help Brendan Dassey, whose confession many believe was forced.

Famous Graduates

Many notable people have graduated from Northwestern Law. Here are a few:

In Education

• Diane Marie Amann, a professor of International Law.
• Raoul Berger, a famous legal historian.
• G. Marcus Cole, a professor and dean at Stanford Law School.
• Jonathan Turley, a well-known law professor.

In Business and Non-Profits

• Eddie Einhorn, former owner of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
• Elbert Henry Gary, who helped start United States Steel Corporation.
• Jay A. Pritzker, who helped start Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
• Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls basketball team.

In Government and Politics

• George Wildman Ball, former U.S. Undersecretary of State.
• William Jennings Bryan, former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate.
• Dale Bumpers, former Governor and U.S. Senator for Arkansas.
• Dennis Daugaard, former Governor of South Dakota.
• Florence Kelley, a social reformer who fought for workers' and children's rights.
• Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, who served as U.S. Secretary of War.
• J. B. Pritzker, the current Governor of Illinois.
• Adlai Stevenson, former Governor of Illinois and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
• Harold Washington, the first Black Mayor of Chicago.

In the Courts

• Arthur Goldberg, a former United States Supreme Court Justice.
• Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
• John Paul Stevens, a former United States Supreme Court Justice.
• Horace Ward, the first African American federal judge in Georgia.

Important "Firsts"

Northwestern Law graduates have achieved many "firsts":

• Mary Bartelme, the first woman elected judge in Illinois.
• Ferdinand L. Barnett, the first African-American assistant State's Attorney in Illinois.
• William Dawson, the first African American to lead a committee in Congress.
• Ada Kepley, the first woman in the United States to graduate from a law school.
• Dawn Clark Netsch, the first woman elected to a statewide office in Illinois.
• Harold Washington, the first African American Mayor of Chicago.
• Horace Ward, the first African American federal judge in Georgia.
• Lloyd Garrison Wheeler, the first African American admitted to practice law in Illinois.

Images for kids

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  Northwestern University seal

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  Northwestern Pritzker School of Law logo