Northwestern University Juris Doctor Degree

The Juris Doctor (JD) degree at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is a rigorous, full-time program designed to prepare students for a wide range of legal careers. The JD requires completion of 85 semester credit hours over 6 to 7 semesters of residence. The curriculum includes foundational courses in legal reasoning and writing, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, torts, property law, civil procedure, and professional responsibility, among others.

Northwestern emphasizes experiential learning with a requirement of 6 credits in experiential courses such as clinics and field placements. The program also incorporates education on legal ethics, bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism, which students must complete twice—once at the start and again before graduation.

Students have opportunities to participate in moot court competitions, scholarly journals, and joint degree programs such as JD-MBA, JD-PhD, and JD-LLM specializations in taxation or international human rights. There is also a Two-Year JD option for internationally educated attorneys.

Graduates of the JD program at Northwestern are well-equipped for careers as practicing attorneys, corporate counsel, legal analysts, and roles in government, academia, and nonprofits. The program fosters strong communication, analytical, and professional skills to meet the challenges of the legal profession.

Overall, Northwestern’s JD degree combines a comprehensive legal education with practical experience and interdisciplinary opportunities, preparing students for success in various legal fields.