Our Clinics, Moot Court, and Law Journal programs

The Southern Illinois University School of Law strives to make its students’ education relevant and rewarding. To accomplish this goal, we offer students a wide range of opportunities to help real clients with real problems, while at the same time receiving either academic credit or a salary.

Our award-winning Clinical Programs offer students the opportunity to develop not only their lawyering skills but their understanding of the professional role of the lawyer in society. Students accomplish this by engaging in direct contact and representation of clients under the supervision of either a clinical faculty member or an attorney from the community.

The Southern Illinois University School of Law is highly respected for its excellent Moot Court programs and skills competitions. Students at the School of Law have an opportunity to participate in these programs in their first, second, and third years of law school and have enjoyed success at the state, regional, and national levels.

All first year students participate in an oral advocacy intra-school competition as part of their Lawyering Skills class. Sitting judges and practicing attorneys from across the Midwest come to the School of Law to judge oral arguments.

In the second year, students can pair up in teams for two competitions sponsored by the American Bar Association which award out of court skills. The annual Negotiation competition starts in the fall semester, while the spring semester brings the annual Client Interviewing and Counselling competitions.

Third year students can participate in advanced trial and appellate advocacy competitions outside of the law school after being selected in an intra-school competition administered by the student run Moot Court Board.

Did you know?

The Southern Illinois University School of Law is the site of the National Health Law Moot Court Competition. Excellence in academics and scholarship remain one of the proud traditions of the SIU School of Law. Student written papers have appeared in law journals across the country and have won both state and national competitions. The Southern Illinois University Law Journal gives students the chance to achieve distinction in editing and publication during their law school career. The Journal of Legal Medicine is regarded nationwide as one of the prominent publications in the area of health law.