DePaul University College of Law is the law school of DePaul University, a private Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 125 full- and part-time faculty members and enrolls more than 500 students in its Juris Doctor program. The school is recognized for its health law and intellectual property law programs, its experiential learning opportunities, and for its multiple joint degree programs offered in conjunction with other DePaul University colleges and schools. The law school's facilities—encompassing nine floors across two buildings on the DePaul University Loop Campus—include the Vincent G. Rinn Law Library, Leonard M. Ring Courtroom, technology-enabled classrooms, two student lounges, and student offices and meeting spaces. The law school is located within two blocks of state and federal courts and is close to numerous law firms, corporations and government agencies.

History

DePaul College of Law started in 1897 as Illinois College of Law, founded by Howard N. Ogden. It was the only law school not on the East Coast to offer both day and evening classes. DePaul University acquired Illinois College of Law in 1912. This purchase benefited both institutions and saw the law school's enrollment double to approximately 400 students. Ogden stayed on as the College of Law's dean, and he became the first non-Catholic trustee of the University. Three years later, upon Ogden's death, DePaul obtained full ownership of the law school. Originally housed at 64 East Lake Street, DePaul Law moved to its current home in the Lewis Center at 25 East Jackson Boulevard in 1958. Formerly known as the Kimball Building, it was gifted to DePaul in 1955 by the Frank J. Lewis Foundation. At that time, it was the largest gift received by the University. In 1972, DePaul purchased the Finchley Building next door and later renamed it Comerford J. O'Malley Place (commonly known as "O'Malley Place") in honor of the former president and chancellor of DePaul. Also that year, DePaul Law opened its first legal clinic in the United States.

Statistics

Student body

For the 2023 entering class, DePaul Law had 150 full-time students and 27 part-time students with a median LSAT of 156. Ages for all students ranged from 20-38 with a median age of 24 for full-time students and 28 for part-time students.

Programs and Degrees

DePaul Law's six Programs of Excellence allow students to focus their education around the following legal practice areas: Business Law & Tax Law, Family Law, Health Law, Immigration Law & Human Rights Law, Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology, and Public Interest Law & Public Service. Most of these programs are supported by the law school's institutes and initiatives.

Experiential Learning

Legal Clinics

DePaul Law's legal clinics allow students to assist clients who are facing real legal issues. Available to second- and third-year students, the law school offers seven in-house and field clinics.

Student Opportunities

Journals

DePaul Law publishes five academic journals:

Moot Court Society and National Trial Team

DePaul Law's Moot Court Society and National Trial Team enable students to participate in competitions across the country. In 2022, the National Trial Team was named Regional Champions at the American Association for Justice's Student Trial Advocacy Competition, and they placed fifth at Nationals. Also that year, the Moot Court team won second place overall at the Chicago Bar Association's Moot Court Competition, and its students received Best Oralist and Second Best Oralist awards. DePaul Law also sponsors the Honorable William J. Bauer Moot Court Competition, an annual intramural appellate competition in which student teams analyze and brief a hypothetical appellate problem and argue the case before practicing attorneys and judges.

Notable alumni

The following are some of DePaul Law's notable alumni.

Notable faculty

Current

Former