JD Program

Legal education at NKU Chase College of Law is designed to provide students a solid foundation on which any legal career can be built. All students are required to master legal rules, standards and doctrine. They are also required to develop the practical skills required for successful practice of law including legal research, legal writing, and legal analysis. In addition to these required elements, Chase students have the opportunity to participate in externships, moot court and trial advocacy competitions, pro bono activities, and extra curricular organizations.

NKU Chase offers both a full-time division and a part-time division. The requirements for admission are the same for both divisions. Students in both divisions must complete the same curriculum and satisfy identical graduation requirements. Full time Chase faculty teach in both divisions. Students enrolled in the full-time division complete their legal education in three years. Those enrolled in the part-time division complete their legal education in four years.

The curriculum for the first year of full time law study includes courses typical of all law schools in the country: Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Property, Legal Writing and Legal Research. The same courses are included in the curriculum for first year part time students, but they are distributed over two academic years. First year part time students take Torts, Contracts, Legal Writing and Legal Research. Second year part time students take Property, Civil Procedure, and other courses.

The upper level law students in both the full time and the part time divisions continue to develop significant understanding of core legal principles in courses such as Evidence, Tax Law, and Criminal Procedure. They also select courses from a wide range of elective courses including seminars, simulated skills courses, and externships.