Northwestern University School of Law

The CLR Program is the first-year required course at Northwestern University School of Law. Northwestern also has advanced research and advanced writing electives. CLR is a two-semester course that provides 2 credits each semester, for a total of 4 credits, which count in the GPA. We have 9 faculty teaching the first years, with an average class size of just under 30 students per professor. This year we also have an ESL coordinator for our non-native English speakers. Our faculty serve on various faculty committees but do not have a vote. Every member of the CLR faculty, including the Director is on a one-year, renewable contract. We are called Clinical Assistant, Associate or full Professors. The promotion to Clinical Associate Professor is made by the Dean on recommendation of the Director. The promotion from Clinical Associate Professor to Clinical Professor is done only after a full faculty review with class observations, student interviews, review of publications and letters of support from colleagues in the field.

The first semester focuses on teaching legal analysis, written and oral communication, research and citation. The students write an ungraded law/fact application and two graded memos, each of which is rewritten, for a total of 4 graded memos. Some of our faculty add other things such as client letters or role plays for client interviews or reports to partners. Second semester the students write two appellate briefs. We pick one topic which carries us through the entire semester. All the students write first an appellant’s brief on that topic and then an appellee’s brief. We end the semester with a noncompetitive moot court. This year, for the first time we will be adding a three-session basic contract drafting component to our second semester.

Judy Rosenbaum
Director of Communication & Legal Reasoning
Northwestern University School of Law
357 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312.503.8943 (v) 312.503.2035 (fax)
http://www.blogger.com/app/j-rosenbaum2@law.northwestern.edu