Juris Doctor (JD) Program

At the Southern Illinois University School of Law, the Juris Doctor program usually takes three years to complete as the School does not have a part-time or night-time program.

Students who attend summer classes and coordinate their schedule with the Registrar and the Associate Dean are sometimes able to graduate in two and one half years. For more information about graduating early, contact the Office of the Registrar at lawreg@siu.edu.

Graduates with a Juris Doctor degree are not able to practice law in any jurisdiction in the United States until they pass a licensing exam called the bar exam. For more information about the bar exam, click here.

For information about applying to law school, either as a new, visiting, or transfer student, click here or e-mail the Office of Admissions at lawadmit@siu.edu.

To receive a Juris Doctor degree, a student must:

satisfy the entrance and residence requirements;
receive a passing grade in all required courses; and
complete ninety semester hours with the required grades.

For more information about the requirements to receive a JD degree, course requirements, or specific rules, contact the Office of the Registrar at lawreg@siu.edu.