Law (JD)

Northeastern University School of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1969 and admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1970. Since reopening in 1968, we have received wide recognition, both for the success of our innovative program and the leadership of our graduates.

For more information, please contact:

Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
American Bar Association
321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312.988.6738

• Graduate with a year of full-time work experience
• One of the nation’s top schools in which to pursue a career in public interest
• One of the most diverse law schools in the United States
• Eight dual-degree programs available
• NU School of Law ranked #1 for practical training

Client-Focused Education

At Northeastern, we believe the best lawyers of tomorrow will be fluent not only in the language of the law, but also in the language of clients. These client languages include science, business, technology, empirical research, creative arts, and pretty much every aspect of human endeavor for which lawyers are needed to smooth transactions and ensure the pre-eminence of fair play.

Our law school is at the forefront of providing such training, not only through our Cooperative Legal Education Program, but also through our concentrations, which provide Northeastern law students with a competitive advantage in their specific fields of interest. Our eight concentrations include:

• Business and commercial law
• Criminal law and justice
• Labor, work & income
• Health law and policy
• Law and development
• Intellectual property and innovation
• International law and human rights
• Poverty law and economic justice

When it comes to giving students the opportunity to learn by doing, there’s simply no place like Northeastern. Our signature Cooperative Legal Education Program guarantees you a year of full-time work experience. No other law school program comes close—indeed, The National Jurist ranks Northeastern as the #1 law school for practical training. While other law schools might give students the chance to work over the summer or experience a part-time internship or externship, only Northeastern integrates full-time employment into its curriculum, giving you three opportunities to:

• Collaborate full-time with working lawyers, contributing to the resolution of actual cases for real clients
• Make an impact in a professional setting just about anywhere in the world, from New York to South Africa
• Try out a variety of work environments and explore diverse areas of the law in depth

You’ll graduate from Northeastern in three years—the same amount of time as peers at other law schools. But in those three years, you will do much more than study the law; you’ll gain the experiences you need to graduate with clear direction, a deep professional network, and a resume that stands out from the crowd.

How it works

After your first year of study, you’ll either spend the summer semester in the classroom or working as a full-time legal professional. You’ll then alternate between classroom and co-op each semester until you graduate with almost a full year of professional experience under your belt.

Where you’ll go

Clerk for a judge in Boston. Assist lawyers at a private firm in San Francisco. Conduct research for a trial in The Hague. Work for a human rights organization in Kenya. With more than 900 co-op employers in 40 states and co-ops completed in more than 71 countries, NUSL lets you tailor your experience to your professional interests and travel the world on co-op if you choose.

What you’ll get

The benefits of co-op extend far beyond graduating with an impressive resume. You and your peers will bring lessons learned on co-op into the classroom, creating a vibrant intellectual exchange that builds with each new experience. You may end up accepting a full-time position with one of your co-op employers, as a significant number of our graduates do. Most importantly, you’ll have the experience to know exactly where you want to go in your career and the confidence and credentials to get there.

The School of Law considers early action, regular, and transfer applications. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Early action deadline: December 1

Regular applicant application deadline: March 1*

Early transfer application deadline: March 1 

Regular transfer application deadline: July 1** 

*This is the priority deadline for first-year students. Applications received by March 1 are guaranteed a decision by April 15. Applications received after March 1 will be processed on a rolling basis.

**This is the priority deadline for transfer students. Applications received after July 1 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

• Resumé

• Personal statement

• Current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s) (no more than 5 years old)

• One letter of recommendation

• All required transcripts

• LSAT scores

• You may also choose to provide a response to one of our optional essay topics