Program Overview

Law (Weekend Part-Time JD) Program

The Law (Weekend Part-Time JD) program at Loyola University Chicago is designed for individuals who wish to pursue a law degree while balancing other responsibilities. This part-time program combines on-campus classes with online learning, allowing students to attend classes every other weekend.

Overview

The Weekend JD program features nationally renowned professors and a world-class education. The program is thoughtfully designed to accommodate busy schedules, with in-person classes meeting on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Curriculum

The core Weekend JD curriculum blends classroom instruction with online learning. All online course components are offered through Sakai, a highly interactive and collaborative online learning environment.

Courses

The program requires the following courses:

• LAW 113: Civil Procedure (4 hours)
• LAW 122: Constitutional Law (4 hours)
• LAW 132: Contracts (4 hours)
• LAW 140: Criminal Law (3 hours)
• LAW 152: Property (4 hours)
• LAW 162: Torts (4 hours)
• LAW 190: Legal Writing I (2 hours)
• LAW 190R: Basic Legal Research (0 hours)
• LAW 192: Legal Writing II (2 hours)
• LAW 210: Evidence 1 (4 hours)
• LAW 232: Bar Exam Fundamentals (2 hours)
• LAW 270: Business Organizations 1 (4 hours)
• LAW 414: Professional Responsibility (3 hours)
• LAW 424: Professional Identity Formation (1 hour)
• BCCR Elective (2-3 hours)
• LAW Electives (30-37 hours)
• Law Experiential Learning Elective (6 hours)
• Law Perspective Elective (2-3 hours)
• Law Rigorous Writing Elective (2-3 hours)

BCCR Electives

BCCR Electives include:

• LAW 107: Illinois Litigation Racism, Injustice & Poverty (2 hours)
• LAW 143: Environmental Justice: Race, Class and the Environment (3 hours)
• LAW 146: Mass Incarceration (2 hours)
• LAW 156: Abolition and Movement Lawyering (2 hours)
• LAW 166: Education Law Practicum (1-4 hours)
• LAW 179: The Law of Jury Selection (2 hours)
• LAW 193: Diversity and Inclusion: A Professional and Social Responsibility (2 hours)
• LAW 202: Human Trafficking Seminar (2 hours)
• LAW 209: Law, Life and Jesuit Spirituality (2 hours)
• LAW 212: Civil Rights (2 hours)
• LAW 214: Race and the Law (2-3 hours)
• LAW 215: Domestic Violence Practicum (1-3 hours)
• LAW 249: Human Trafficking: Advancing Protections for Children Practicum (1-2 hours)
• LAW 265: Black Traditions in International Law (1-2 hours)
• LAW 276: Criminal Law Practicum (1-3 hours)
• LAW 294: International Human Rights (1-3 hours)
• LAW 302: Intellectual Origins of "Othering" in the Law of Nations (2 hours)
• LAW 312: Street Law (3 hours)
• LAW 341: Educational Advocacy Lab (2 hours)
• LAW 358: The Quest for Racial Justice in the Long 1960s (3 hours)
• LAW 389: Public Interest Law Seminar (1-2 hours)
• LAW 402: "Say Her Name:" Intersectional Feminism & Police Violence (4 hours)
• LAW 408: Restorative Justice Workshop (1 hour)
• LAW 440: Criminal Procedure Capstone (3 hours)
• LAW 447: Federal Indian Law (3 hours)
• LAW 483: Federal Tax Clinic I (2-4 hours)
• LAW 486: Federal Tax Clinic II (1-2 hours)
• LAW 504: Lawyers as Leaders (2 hours)
• LAW 525: Law, Politics, and Society (2 hours)
• LAW 538: Critical Race Theory (2 hours)
• LAW 539: Affordable Housing Law & Policy (2 hours)
• LAW 555: Children and the Law (2 hours)
• LAW 590: Wrongful Conviction Seminar (1-2 hours)
• LAW 601: Child, Family, and the State (2 hours)
• LAW 606: Legislation and Policy Clinic (2-4 hours)
• LAW 608: Juvenile Justice (2 hours)
• LAW 620: Civitas ChildLaw Clinic (1-4 hours)
• LAW 730: Health Justice Policy Practicum (2-3 hours)
• LAW 745: Access to Health Care (2-3 hours)
• LAW 755: Health Justice Project (3-4 hours)

Experiential Learning Electives

Experiential Learning Electives include:

• LAW 166: Education Law Practicum (1-4 hours)
• LAW 173: Advanced Education Law Practicum (1-4 hours)
• LAW 215: Domestic Violence Practicum (1-3 hours)
• LAW 246: Advanced Mediation Advocacy Practicum (1-4 hours)
• LAW 249: Human Trafficking: Advancing Protections for Children Practicum (1-2 hours)
• LAW 276: Criminal Law Practicum (1-3 hours)
• LAW 341: Educational Advocacy Lab (2 hours)
• LAW 470: Immigration Practicum Advancing (1-4 hours)
• LAW 483: Federal Tax Clinic I (2-4 hours)
• LAW 486: Federal Tax Clinic II (1-2 hours)
• LAW 493: Adult Guardianship Project (3 hours)
• LAW 518: Advanced Mediation and Courthouse Practicum (1-3 hours)
• LAW 540: Community Law Center Clinic III (2 hours)
• LAW 554: Family Law Practicum (1 hour)
• LAW 584: Mediation Certification & Courthouse Practicum (4 hours)
• LAW 586: Community Law Center Clinic Veterans Practicum (2-4 hours)
• LAW 595: Community LawCtr Clinic I (4 hours)
• LAW 596: Community Law Center Clinic II (3 hours)
• LAW 599: Externship Intensive Field Placement (1-3 hours)
• LAW 606: Legislation and Policy Clinic (2-4 hours)
• LAW 617: Policy Practicum: Issues in Childlaw (1-3 hours)
• LAW 620: Civitas ChildLaw Clinic (1-4 hours)
• LAW 730: Health Justice Policy Practicum (2-3 hours)
• LAW 745: Access to Health Care (2-3 hours)
• LAW 755: Health Justice Project (3-4 hours)
• LAW 757: Advanced Health Justice Project (2-4 hours)
• LAW 825: Business Law Center Clinical & Seminar (2-4 hours)
• LAW 826: Business Law Clinic II (1-3 hours)

Perspective Elective

Perspective Electives include:

• LAW 127: Law and Psychology (2 hours)
• LAW 185: Business and the Law (2 hours)
• LAW 208: Advanced Criminal Law (2 hours)
• LAW 262: Genetics Law and Policy (2 hours)
• LAW 265: Black Traditions in International Law (1-2 hours)
• LAW 294: International Human Rights (1-3 hours)
• LAW 319: Jurisprudence I (3 hours)
• LAW 339: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management (2 hours)
• LAW 341: Educational Advocacy Lab (2 hours)
• LAW 348: Law & Poverty (3 hours)
• LAW 388: Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective (3 hours)
• LAW 459: Intro to English Legal Profession (1 hour)
• LAW 461: Education Law and Policy (2-3 hours)
• LAW 522: Election Law (2-3 hours)
• LAW 525: Law, Politics, and Society (2 hours)
• LAW 538: Critical Race Theory (2 hours)
• LAW 558: Comparative Freedom of Speech (1-2 hours)
• LAW 564: Animal Law and Policy (2-3 hours)
• LAW 597: The Use of Force in International and Domestic Law (2 hours)
• LAW 601: Child, Family, and the State (2 hours)
• LAW 608: Juvenile Justice (2 hours)
• LAW 745: Access to Health Care (2-3 hours)

Rigorous Writing Elective

Rigorous Writing Electives include:

• LAW 145: Gender Based Violence: Law, Practice, and Policy (2 hours)
• LAW 146: Mass Incarceration (2 hours)
• LAW 176: International Trade Law (1-3 hours)
• LAW 194: Bar Exam Writing Skills (1-2 hours)
• LAW 293: Advanced Writing for Legal Practice (1-3 hours)
• LAW 302: Intellectual Origins of "Othering" in the Law of Nations (2 hours)
• LAW 361: Insurance Law (2 hours)
• LAW 407: Immigration Litigation: Admin Law Challenges to Immigration Policy (2 hours)
• LAW 417: Advanced Business Law (3 hours)
• LAW 419: Business Skills in Sports and Entertainment Law: The Introductory Skill Set (2 hours)
• LAW 455: Appellate Advocacy-Intellectual Property (2 hours)
• LAW 516: Prisoner Constitutional Rights Litigation (3 hours)
• LAW 556: Alternative Dispute Resolution (2-3 hours)
• LAW 712: Legal Writing for Medical Malpractice Trial: The Expert (2 hours)
• LAW 739: Health Information Privacy and Technology (1-2 hours)

Upper Level Required Courses

Upper Level Required Courses include:

• Skills Training Course (2 credits)
• Experiential Learning (6 credits)
• LAW 414: Professional Responsibility (taken after first year)
• BCCR Elective (2-3 credits)
• Rigorous Writing Elective (2-3 credits)

Highly Recommended Courses

Highly Recommended Courses include:

• LAW 221: Administrative Law (3 hours)
• LAW 280: Federal Income Tax (3 hours)

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The suggested sequence of courses is as follows:

First Year

• Fall:
  • LAW 190: Legal Writing I (2 hours)
  • LAW 190R: Basic Legal Research (0 hours)
  • LAW 113: Civil Procedure (4 hours)
  • LAW 162: Torts (4 hours)
  • LAW 424: Professional Identity Formation (1 hour)
• Spring:
  • LAW 192: Legal Writing II (2 hours)
  • LAW 132: Contracts (4 hours)
  • LAW 140: Criminal Law (3 hours)

Second Year

• Fall:
  • LAW 152: Property 1 (4 hours)
  • Elective Courses (7-8 hours)
• Spring:
  • LAW 122: Constitutional Law 1 (4 hours)
  • Elective Courses (7-8 hours)

Third Year

• Fall:
  • Elective Courses (11-12 hours)
• Spring:
  • Elective Courses (11-12 hours)

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • LAW 232: Bar Exam Fundamentals (2 hours)
  • Elective Courses (11-12 hours)
• Spring:
  • LAW 232: Bar Exam Fundamentals (2 hours)
  • Elective Courses (11-12 hours)

Flexible Course Options

In addition to an array of electives, many flexible course options are available, including summer coursework, independent study, intersession courses, and fully online courses (as many as 28-credit hours of fully online coursework).

Degree Requirements

To earn a JD degree, students must complete a minimum of 86 credit hours of coursework, with 74.0 hours graded. Students may take up to 28.0 hours of distance learning credits. A minimum of 6 credit hours of experiential learning are required.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Utilize skills derived from participation in supervised live-client experiences, externships, or litigation and transactional practice simulations
• Determine clients' needs and objectives
• Determine relevant facts and understand their relevance to the client's legal position
• Conduct legal research
• Analyze and apply relevant legal principles
• Find solutions to legal problems
• Communicate legal concepts clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing