Access Restricted to Northwestern Law CommunityAbout Us
Clinical education at Northwestern dates back to 1910 when Dean John Henry Wigmore developed an innovative program
with the Chicago Legal Aid Society that evolved into the
Bluhm Legal Clinic. The clinic opened its doors in 1969 with only two staff attorneys and 12 students. Today,
more than 20 clinical professors combine classroom instruction with hands-on experience for more than
120 students who take clinical courses each year.
The innovative simulation-based curriculum of our Bartlit Center for Trial Strategy, which consistently ranks among the top trial advocacy and dispute resolution programs in the country, gives students the skills they need to negotiate and communicate effectively, solve problems, prepare briefs, examine witnesses, present evidence, and argue cases. Students also gain real-world training working in public interest organizations, businesses, judges’ chambers, and criminal and defense law offices through our extensive externship program.
In addition, students work with clinical faculty and staff to represent clients as well as challenge the fairness of our legal institutions and propose solutions for reform. Some of the clinic’s centers are nationally recognized for their direct involvement in legal reform:
• The Children and Family Justice Center is a local and national leader in juvenile court reform and in issues and initiatives affecting children and families in crisis.
• The Center for International Human Rights conducts academic and practical work in support of international human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
• The Center on Wrongful Convictions pushes the criminal justice system to take claims of innocence seriously and create awareness about systemic shortcomings in the system.
While others are recognized as innovative leaders and models for similar clinics being established across the country:
• The Small Business Opportunity Center, one of the first of its kind, provides inexpensive legal services to entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations.
• The Investor Protection Center, the first in the Midwest, provides assistance to investors with limited income or small dollar claims who are unable to obtain legal representation.
Seeking Legal Assistance?
Please e-mail a
one-page letter describing your case to the Bluhm Legal
Clinic.
Another resource for legal matters is the American Bar Association.
Bluhm Legal Clinic
Northwestern University School of Law
357 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-3069
Phone: (312) 503-8576
Fax: (312) 503-8977
TDD: (312) 503-4472
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Appointments are required. Walk-ins are not accepted.
