The practical training law students receive at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago has been deemed among the best in the nation by preLaw magazine. The magazine considered factors such as the number of clinic spots open to students and the number of field placements filled by students when determining ratings.
John Marshall requires more practical training than many other law schools in the nation. The law school requires all law students to complete three credits – a minimum of 168 hours – of an externship or clinical experience by the time they graduate. More than 30 John Marshall students participated in externships this semester alone.
All students must also take four semesters of legal drafting courses. John Marshall’s Legal Writing Program is known for its rigorous research and writing requirements and was ranked sixth best in the nation and the best in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. It also houses the largest in-school writing resource center in the country.
Each year the students, staff and volunteers at John Marshall’s Community Legal Clinics donate 74,480 hours of services to the citizens of Chicago. The clinics provide services across a wide variety of legal issues in nine fields of practice: community and business development; conflict resolution; domestic violence; fair housing; international human rights; civil rights; patent; trademark; and veterans services.
The law school’s clinical opportunities offer students a chance to develop real legal experience while still in school. All clinics are designed to develop the practice-ready skills that employers seek in career applicants.
The law school’s clinics also give John Marshall alums and local attorneys an opportunity to give back to the Chicago community and beyond. The clinics provide more than $9.4 million each year in legal services to underserved communities in the Chicago area.
