Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
Introduction
Here at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, we empower our students and graduates to make a difference in the world.
IU McKinney provides academic excellence and professional opportunities in the heart of Indiana’s capital city. Our students benefit from real-world experience through hands-on learning opportunities; connections to alumni around the globe; and the flexibility of day, evening, and online courses.
Located on the Indiana University-Indianapolis campus, IU McKinney Law enjoys active collaboration with the IU Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Social Work; the Kelley School of Business; the Fairbanks School of Public Health; and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. You can choose from nine dual degree programs to combine your passions for multiple fields.
The law school building is a state-of-the-art facility situated just steps away from the state’s courts, the legislature, and major law firms, giving students ready access to practical experience as well as career options.
Situated along the nationally recognized Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path connecting neighborhoods, cultural districts and entertainment amenities, McKinney Law is the ideal place to pursue your legal education.
The JD Program
Put Law into Practice
IU McKinney offers eight live-client clinic courses. The Civil Practice Clinic allows students to represent clients in a variety of cases, including housing, divorce, child support, and consumer and administrative matters. In the Health & Human Rights Clinic, students engage in domestic human rights advocacy, primarily focused on housing as a social determinant of health, through litigation, negotiation, investigations, and public education. In the Criminal Defense Clinic, students represent clients in criminal cases involving a variety of misdemeanor or class D felony charges. Additional clinical opportunities include the Immigration Law Clinic, the Appellate Practice Clinic, the Wrongful Conviction Clinic, the Re-Entry Clinic, and the Child Advocacy Clinic.
Because of our location in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, we offer many externships in state and local government, the courts, organizations such as the NCAA, nonprofits such as the Sierra Club, and businesses such as Eli Lilly. Students can put their legal education to work and gain valuable résumé-building experience even before they graduate.
The school also offers an extensive moot court program, a pro bono program, and three law reviews: Indiana Law Review, Indiana International and Comparative Law Review, and Indiana Health Law Review.
Flexibility
The ABA-approved high-quality legal education enjoyed by students enrolled in IU McKinney's full-time program is available to our students enrolled in a part-time hybrid program as well. The hybrid program at a glance:
- 90 credit hours to complete your J.D. degree. Includes the hybrid 1st-and 2nd-year courses and, after the 2nd-year courses, students may take up to 44 credit hours of fully online courses, subject to availability.
- Complete your degree in 4 years.
- a significant in-person experience that facilitates relationships with peers and IU McKinney's internationally-recognized faculty together with the flexibility of an online component.
Focus Your Studies
IU McKinney’s research centers and programs make significant contributions to the legal profession and the community locally, nationally, and internationally.
The William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health is considered one of the top health law programs in the nation. The center serves as a preeminent information resource on health law issues for the bar, government, and health care community. Through the center, you may pursue a certificate in law and health and participate in the Indiana Health Law Review, as well as the Health Law Society.
The Program on Law and State Government enriches the dialogue between the academic legal community and state government policy makers. The program sponsors a wide variety of externship placements within the executive and legislative branches of Indiana's state government, including the Office of the Governor, the Indiana Attorney General, the Indiana State Police, the Civil Rights Commission and over fifty others. These externships will introduce you to new vantage points on what it means to be a public lawyer, how the private regulated community engages with Indiana's state government, and how federal and state tax dollars translate into programs for Hoosiers
The Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resources Law Program (EENR) offers a path to expertise in a growing area of legal practice that addresses complex issues of resource development and conservation, pollution control, energy and transportation policy, environmental justice, and other related subjects. If you are interested in becoming an environmental or a natural resources lawyer, the EENR certificate can help you achieve your goals.
The Center for Intellectual Property Law and Innovation is active in all areas of IP law, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and the right of publicity, with a focus on issues of importance to the life sciences. If you are interested in a career in an IP-related field, you can pursue a certificate in this area.
Sports Law at IU McKinney, the newest addition to the law school’s curriculum, adds a level of excitement to match the growing industry in Indianapolis. As the only law school in Indianapolis, one of the nation’s great cities for sport, students can find the city is home to the NCAA, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, three major league sports teams, as well as professional baseball, soccer, hockey, volleyball, indoor football, and ultimate frisbee. IU McKinney alums lead and serve sports organizations and athletes locally as well as nationally and beyond.
The school offers graduate certificates in the following areas:
- Civil and Human Rights Law
- Corporate and Commercial Law
- Criminal Law
- Environmental and Natural Resources Law
- Health Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- International and Comparative Law
Joint-Degree Programs
IU McKinney Law offers nine dual degree programs in conjunction with the IU Schools of Medicine, Public and Environmental Affairs, Liberal Arts, Informatics and Computing, and Social Work. The School of Law also offers cooperative degrees with the Kelley School of Business, the Fairbanks School of Public Health, and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. You can earn a JD and a degree in another field in less time than it would take to earn both degrees independently. Joint degrees include
- JD/MD (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Doctor of Medicine)
- JD/MBA (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Business Administration)
- JD/MHA (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Health Administration)
- JD/MPH (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Public Health)
- JD/MPA (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Public Affairs)
- JD/MLIS (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Library & Information Science)
- JD/MA (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts in Philosophy-Health/Bioethics)
- JD/MSW (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Social Work)
- JD/MA (Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies)
ICLEO
The school supports the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO), which provides historically underrepresented college graduates with assistance in pursuing law degrees and careers in the Indiana legal community.
Student Life
Life as an IU McKinney Student
With over 30 active student organizations, we have an array of groups to match every interest and hobby. Find the right organization for you or browse upcoming events to find activities that interest you, by visiting our website.
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
The LSAT, or GRE, and ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s Credential Assembly Service are required.
As the only law school in our vibrant capital city, we are committed to accessibility, affordability, and excellence in public legal education. IU McKinney School of Law serves its students and society as a center of legal education and scholarly inquiry. Our students pursue a rigorous course of study immersed in an environment of public service and community engagement. By fostering a mature sense of integrity and an awareness of an ever-evolving legal profession, we empower students to succeed as citizens, professionals, and leaders.
Numerical indicators (LSAT score, UGPA, etc.) are not dispositive of an applicant’s ability to succeed at the study and practice of law; therefore, many factors are important in assessing an applicant’s potential to distinguish themselves and engage in the educational process and the legal profession.
IU McKinney Law offers an early-decision program. Early-decision candidates must have their applications completed, with their Credential Assembly Service Law School Report, by November 15, and will be notified of the admission committee’s decision by late December.