Two-year JD for International Lawyers

Northwestern is one of the first law schools in the country to offer a Two-Year JD program for foreign-educated attorneys. Students who are admitted to the program receive one year of credit for their foreign law degree. Two-Year JD students must complete the required coursework for JD students during their first year. The second year is spent taking elective courses. Two-Year JD students are completely integrated with American students in our regular JD program. Graduates of the Two-Year JD program will receive a Juris Doctor degree, making them eligible to take the bar examination in any U.S. state.

Curriculum

Required First-Year Courses

Perspective Electives (required to take one from the following or as designated)

American Legal History

Economics for Lawyers

Economic Analysis of Law

Jurisprudence

Law and Social Science

Law and Literature

Law and Psychology

Legal Ethics (required)

Electives (required to take five from the following)

Business Associations

Evidence

Administrative Law

Civil Procedure II

Commercial Law: Sales OR Commercial Law: Secured Transactions

Legislation

Securities Regulation

Torts II

Basic Income Taxation OR Entity Taxation

Estates and Trusts

There may be exceptional cases where specialized interests justify deviation from this requirement. Any student seeking approval of an alternative curriculum plan is required to do so before registration for the third semester in residence closes.

Writing Requirement

Must successfully complete Senior Research OR a seminar meeting the JD one-draft writing requirement.

Additional Curricular Limits

b. May enroll in EITHER a maximum of 4 credits of clinical work OR a maximum of 4 credits of senior research (in extraordinary cases, the Director of Research may approve an additional 2 credits)

Program Admission
To apply, you must hold a first degree in law from a university or college whose requirements for that degree are comparable to those prescribed by Northwestern. Applicants are also expected to have at least one year of work experience in business or law. Applicants must complete an application for admission to the Graduate and International Programs, submit an LSAT score and conduct an evaluative admissions interview. Applications are due February 1.

Tuition and Financial Aid
Under current federal regulations, only citizen and permanent residents of the United States are eligible for federal student loans. Individuals who are not eligible for federal student loans may be eligible for a University-administered Graduate-Professional Alternative Loan (GPAL), provided a United States citizen or permanent resident cosigns the loan. If you do not have a co-signer, you should explore commercial loans in your country. No fellowship or grant assistance is available for students in the Two-Year JD program.

Center for Career Strategy and Advancement for Two-year JD Students
Students in the Two-Year JD program have access to the Center for Career Strategy and Advancement. An orientation for first-year students takes place in October. In January, the career office hosts a small on-campus interview program for first-year students. It is important to note that most first-year students find their summer jobs through an outside job search. Students are therefore encouraged to make individual appointments with the career staff to discuss specific career goals. During the second year, students may participate in the Fall On-Campus Interview program, which attracts more than 350 firms from across the nation.

Journals
Because our student publications require a two-year commitment, students in the Two-Year JD program are not eligible to participate on journal staffs.

For information about Northwestern Law admissions, please visit the Office of Admissions. You may also request an interview or apply online.

Two-year JD for International Lawyers

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