Overview

Opportunity

The IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law prepares students for a wide range of diverse and exciting careers. From practicing law to managing corporations, the school's more than 10,000 graduates excel not only in Indiana, but across the country and around the world. Law school alumni have served in the highest offices in government, including the U.S. vice presidency, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.

The Indianapolis legal and business communities offer opportunities for connections that no other law school in the state can provide. Many of the school's adjunct professors come from some of the most prestigious law firms in the state. Additionally, an attorney-student mentor program allows students to meet a variety of area attorneys, judges, and business and government leaders in an informal setting.

Externships are available in a vast array of institutions, including banks, corporations, and government offices. Many externships also are available with local, state, and federal courts. The school also offers clinical programs designed to complement traditional legal education with experience beyond the classroom. With faculty supervision, students represent real clients in actual cases before Indiana courts through clinics in Criminal Defense, Civil Practice, Disability Law, Immigration Law, Appellate Practice, and Health and Human Rights. 

Faculty and Curriculum

Faculty members hold Doctor of Jurisprudence, master's, and doctoral degrees from more than 50 different schools, offering students extensive and diverse views on the law and its career possibilities. Assembled from across the country, the faculty has distinguished itself with a wide variety of scholarly publications related to state, national, and international legal matters.

Refined analytical acumen, well-honed communications skills, highly developed ethical sensibilities: these are the hallmarks of an IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law graduate.  

Required courses are complemented by a vast array of in-depth, innovative seminars and specialized classes, designed to prepare students to be exceptional problem solvers, effective mediators, and persuasive advocates.  Our legal writing program was ranked in the top 10 nationally in the past three years.  This unique program is a comprehensive series of courses that lays the foundation for all of our students' legal studies and professional work.

A student may pursue a J.D. degree on a full-time basis in the school's day division or on a part-time basis through the evening program. Typically, a full-time student will complete the 90 required hours within three years, while a part-time student will do so within four years.