John Marshall Law School, Chicago’s only public law school under University of Illinois Chicago saw an enrollment of 314 students in its world class JD program in the recent admission session. The renowned law school offers specialised degree programmes including a JD program and various LLM programs.

Also Check: John Marshall Law School Programs

Admission to JMLS operates on a rolling basis for January and August semesters. International applicants are required to submit their application by March 1 to take admission in Fall or by November 15 for Spring admission with required ELP scores such as IELTS, TOEFL and official transcripts. Applicants must submit competitive LSAT/GRE schools to get accepted in John Marshall Law school.

The law school adopts an unique approach towards education, hence, ensuring that the students develop all the necessary skills required for successfully practicing law. For the same, it provides students with ample opportunities to pursue internships in prestigious federal offices, law firms, law departments, and not-for-profit organizations. These opportunities enable students to gain hands-on experience in the law field under the supervision of an experienced attorney.

John Marshall Law School Rankings

  • #147–193 in Best law schools, #29 in Part time law by US news and world report rankings
  • Most diverse law schools in the nation by pre-law magazine

Highlights

Founded 1899
Type of School Public
Accredited American Bar Association
Application Fee Not Applicable
Student and Faculty Ratio 9.1:1
ELP Score TOEFL, IELTS
Admission Deadline Fall: March 1 Spring: November 15
Application Fees 0$(Waived off)
Website UIC Law | University of Illinois at Chicago

John Marshall Law School Campus and Accommodation

John Marshall Law School is located in a prime location that happens to be Chicago’s central financial and legal district. The Dirksen Federal Building and U.S District Court are right across the street with the Chicago Bar association also happen to be next door. The proximity offers JMLS students many exciting career opportunities.

John Marshall Law School Housing Facilities and Residence

John Marshall Law school provides on campus housing facilities to international students with the following residence halls to choose from:

  • The 10-storey Academic and Residential Complex spreads over 151,000 square feet and provides accommodation to approximately 550 students. Within the residential complex, the students can benefit from the fitness center, gaming lounge, study lounges on each floor as well as laundry facilities.
  • Commons West is a five-story residence hall that provides both single and double occupancy rooms to students with two bathrooms shared by each floor community. The students can benefit from the free laundry service, kitchenettes, vending machines facilities, computer lab, air conditioning, and heat apart from the common area.
  • James Stukel Towers is the newest residence hall with four towers and houses students in 4,5, 8 person suites. Each of the towers offers a piano room, penthouse lounge, and dining hall for residents. Like Commons West, it too comes with free laundry service, kitchenettes, and vending machines facilities.

All these housing options have single and double room options which a student can choose from as per their budget.

  • The residence halls are equipped with basic amenities such as a bed, dresser, desk and chair, and high-speed wireless internet with some of them having clothes closets and cable TV connections as well.
  • The meal plan costs around 3.400-4,677 USD annually which includes 15 meals per week to 19 meals per week plan.

The housing cost are as follows:

Type of Accommodation DoubAnnual rates in USD Single Room annual rent in USDrates in USD
Academic and Residential Complex 10,131 11,648
Commons West 8,436 9,445
James Stukel Towers 9,890 10,998

John Marshall Law School Programs

John Marshall Law School offers several courses to their students both at JD level and LLM. Regardless of which course the applicant opts for, they will develop the analytical, strategic, and transactional skills needed while practicing law. Here is a brief explanation of each program offered by JMLS:

  • The Juris doctor program offers clinical opportunities to work on different legal domains. All clinics are designed in a way to help students develop courtroom-ready skills.
  • Joint Degree Programs offer the specialized training which employers look for in today’s world. It helps them develop advanced expertise and practical skills.
  • Apart from these, JMLS also offers numerous LLM programs in intellectual property law, real estate law.

John Marshall Law School Application Process

Here is the checklist for international applicants to note down before applying to JMLS:

  • Application Portal: Complete the application process via Online by creating a LSAC account
  • Application Fee: It has been waived off.
  • Letters of Recommendation (Both Academic and professional reference in English)
  • Personal Statement
  • Updated Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  • Photocopy of passport page

English Proficiency Exams (ELP): Applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting either TOEFL or IELTS test scores.

  • TOEFL- 90 and 20 on the writing section
  • IELTS- Minimum score of 7

Application Deadline

  • Fall: March 1
  • Spring: November 1

John Marshall Law School Cost of Attendance

Here is the tuition and associated fees that an international applicant has to check before sending the application to JMLS. International students seeking admission in John Marshall Law school must estimate a budget required to study in USA after assessing the costs given below:

Type of Fees Amount in USD
Tuition Fees 1500 per credit hour and $22,500
Tuition Deposit 500
General Fee 481
Service Fee 238-357
Student to Student Fee 3
Sustainability Fee 6
Health Service Fee 104
Health Insurance Fee 697
Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment 57-344
Library and Information Technology 38-226
International Student Fee Fall and Spring: 130 Summer: 65

John Marshall Law School Scholarships

Scholarships provided by the JMLS are associated with the externship done by the student in their respective course. There is no formal application required from the student’s side however, he or she needs to submit their cover letter, resume, a writing sample, and an essay highlighting their contributions to the law school before applying to any of the following scholarship grants.

  • IRS Externship Scholarship is available for those students who have done an externship in IRS’s office. The student can either use this scholarship amount of $5000 to offset tuition fees or use the stipend for travel, lodging, and living expenses.
  • Sweetnam Scholarship: Applicants who are graduates in employee benefits/tax law students are eligible to apply for this scholarship. They are selected by the Center and are required to extern in the Office of Benefits Tax Counsel at the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Tax Policy. The selected student will receive $5,000 in Scholarship awards to cover travel, lodging, and living expenses in Washington DC.

In addition to the above mentioned scholarships, international students can also apply for external scholarships available in the USA.

John Marshall Law School Alumni

Alumni from John Marshall Law School are now part of the UIC Alumni base and as part of the group, law graduates are eligible for benefits like alumni network of potential clients, UIC library, high-profile speakers, athletic events, and recreation facilities.

Some of the notable personalities from LHU are

  • Edith S. Sampson: American lawyer
  • Evelyn Sanguinetti: Former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
  • Charles E. Freeman: American attorney

John Marshall Law School Placements

To combine academic learning with real-world experience, JMLS encourages its students to apply for Externships, practicums, and internships. The criteria to apply for these opportunities varies from course to course however, the interested student must be in good academic standing before applying. Below are some of the internship opportunities one can benefit from by enrolling in this law school:

IRS office of Exempt Organization Internship: Students pursuing JD/LLM in Employee benefits or in Tax Law are eligible for this internship. It is an unpaid internship but the student will learn about the federal tax code and programs the IRS uses to promote education. They will directly work with the attorneys at the IRS.

Note that every semester, the list of internships keeps changing. Therefore, UIC Law students should connect with the Centre that will assist them in identifying the best internship opportunities for them.

The law school also organizes one career program each semester where the Centre explains the career opportunities available for its students. To give them a holistic viewpoint, it features alumni, faculty members, and advisory board members where they do one-on-one sessions with degree holder students and advise them on future opportunities

John Marshall Law school focuses on providing a well-rounded student life to the students hailing from diverse countries worldwide. To ensure students can apply classroom concepts in the real world, JMLS provides ample opportunities-externships, practicums, internships, and writing competitions to their students.

FAQs

Q1. When should I apply at JMLS?

Ans. The priority deadline for Fall admission is March 1 and for spring admission it is November 15. However, international applicants are encouraged to submit their application several months before the deadline. This will allow them sufficient time to apply for a U.S. visa in their home country.

Q2. After earning an LLM degree from John Marshall Law school, can I sit for the bar exam?

Ans. Students must be aware that earning an LLM degree does not guarantee eligibility to sit for the bar exam in U.S. states. It the state’s Board of Law examiners that determines the eligibility to sit for the exam. Degree holder students can consult with the respective Board of Law Examiners website and review the rules and requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.

Q3. Does John Marshall Law School offer international opportunities?

Ans. Yes, it indeed does. It runs International Semester Exchange Programs in which degree candidates with good academic scores can study internationally for a semester and can earn academic credit towards their degree.

Q4. When do I need to apply for residence?

Ans. Once you are admitted to John Marshall law school, you can apply for housing accommodation from the same admission session. There is no deadline as such because room assignments begin from mid-June and continue throughout summer on a rolling basis. However, students are encouraged to apply as soon as they can if they have a specific residence hall/room type preference as assignments are made in a first come and first served manner.

Q5. What other assistance does JMLS offer to their students?

Ans. JMLS provides a number of supporting measures to their enrolled students and some of the are listed below:

  • Law Student Travel fund to offset the cost of travel and lodging expenses if you find a law-related opportunity.
  • Students can avail lawyer’s assistance program which provides free services to law students
  • Student support and the Emergency team assist law students in solving their academic concerns, financial difficulties, medical and mental health issues.

Q6. How can international students be eligible for financial aid?

Ans. After you send your complete application with ELP score and transcripts, the applicant becomes eligible for the scholarship. JMLS runs different scholarship programs and the academic standing of the applicant will determine their eligibility and the same will be notified by email. However, the applicant must keep in mind the financial aid provided by John Marshall Law School only covers part of the tuition fees and it is their responsibility to demonstrate financial resources for the remaining university expenses.