Juris Doctor Program (JD)

Earn your JD from ONU Law School

ONU Law checks all the boxes that many other law schools don’t. Your professors are going to know your name by the end of your first week of classes and you’re going to make lifelong friends. Earning your Juris Doctorate degree will be one of the most challenging things you ever do, but you’ll do so with like-minded classmates, supportive professors, and caring administrators. It's what makes our campus a distinctive community.

We’re a small school that, for 140 years, has trained attorneys to go out into the world and succeed by serving others. Here, you learn by doing. From day one, you take what you learn from professors who are the best in their field and apply it to real-world problems.

Your legal education will be invaluable, yet affordable. Our rates are the lowest in the Great Lakes Region among private law schools, giving you less debt when you graduate. We’re known for our individualized attention that makes it possible for students to pass the bar and get a great job. And when you do earn your degree, you’re going to have access to a vast network of alumni in all 50 states and abroad that want you to succeed.

If you haven’t visited ONU Law yet, give us a call and schedule a time where you can tour our beautiful campus and talk with some of our professors and students. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

Ohio Northern University Law's Academic Mission

ONU Law's mission is to provide an education that will allow students to become competent, ethical, and professional practitioners able to apply their skills and talents across a range of practice environments. The educational program is designed to provide students with a substantial opportunity to regularly interact with faculty, to gain professional skills, and to research a topic of personal interest within a critical yet collegial environment.

JD Curriculum & Learning Objectives

We've spent more than a century of building the perfect combination of learning and doing to make you ready for a successful law career. Through specialty programs that let you gain a certificate on your degree based on your interests, clinical tracks that provide real courtroom and client-facing time, and academic success programs that prepare you to pass the bar and enter the workforce, we provide countless opportunities for you to build real-world skills that set you apart from the competition.

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Juris Doctor Degree Learning Outcomes

ONU Law seeks to educate and prepare students to be practice-ready lawyers through a curriculum that integrates theory, doctrine, and experiential learning, and emphasizes ethics and service to others. In support of its mission statement, the Law School has adopted the following Learning Outcomes and Competencies listed below.

Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of substantive and procedural law in all required courses.
- Determine which legal issues are presented by factual circumstances
- Articulate the applicable substantive and procedural rules
Graduates will demonstrate competence in legal research.
- Identify and accurately implement the fundamental tools of legal research
- Create an effective research plan
- Locate the relevant authorities for a legal issue
- Judge the weight of legal authorities
Graduates will demonstrate competence in legal analysis and problem-solving.
- Apply the appropriate legal rules and authorities to facts, including assessing the possible counterarguments and likely case outcomes
- Develop potential legal solutions, including consideration of cost and other relevant factors
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
- Write legal documents that are clear, well-reasoned, organized and professional in tone, and appropriate to the audience and the circumstances
- Communicate orally on legal topics in a well-reasoned, organized and professional manner that is appropriate to the audience and the circumstances
Graduates will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of proper professional and ethical responsibilities to the clients and the legal system.
- Identify the rules, laws and other authorities that govern the legal profession
- Recognize professional and ethical dilemmas when presented in actual or hypothetical fact scenarios
- Formulate and articulate appropriate resolutions to professional or ethical dilemmas in actual or hypothetical fact scenarios
Graduates will demonstrate competence in legal practice skills.
- Perform the following legal practice skills using actual or hypothetical fact scenarios or legal problems: interviewing, counseling, advocating on behalf of clients, negotiating, and drafting law-related documents.
- Manage complex workflow diligently, reliably and within deadlines.
- Collaborate with others in a legal setting.
- Identify potential effects on clients and others when formulating legal strategy in actual or hypothetical fact scenarios.

Ohio Northern Law JD Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to ONU Law, you’ll need to earn your bachelor’s degree before you start law school.

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You’ll also want to:

First Step

Create an account with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) which is the entry point into the admissions process.

Second Step

Have scores from either the LSAT or GRE before applying and make sure to register for LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). This is required to complete the application as your letters of recommendation and transcripts will be authenticated through this (Our office is not permitted to submit either of these documents to your materials, so please ensure they are attached to your application, appropriately).

Third Step

Include a resume, personal statement, and at least one letter of recommendation. ALSO
Complete explanations to any affirmative responses to the academic probation/discipline questions, and the character and fitness questions asked in the application.

Fourth Step

Summer Starter Program applications need to submitted and completed prior to April 1st, due to the class being seated earlier than our application deadline. We interview each student we are considering for the program. The 8-week program begins the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and requires in-person attendance.

"Because ONU Law weaves advocacy into everything they do, I have the confidence needed to walk into a courtroom, evaluate the evidence presented, and advocate for my client.”

Alyssa Waite, JD '21, prosecuting attorney, Cleveland, OH

Explore Opportunities at ONU Pettit College of Law

Innovation & Rigor

Choose from a variety of specializations and more than 100 course options while expanding your experiences by studying abroad, participating in Law Review and Moot Court, accepting research and teaching assistantships, engaging in externships and law clinics, and more.