Student Life

Hone your legal skills through student organizations that feature scholarship and competition at the highest levels. Your involvement in these prestigious programs at ONU will shape your future course.  Learn more.

Your hard work and talent will be rewarded at ONU. We have many avenues to recognize academic achievement that will enhance your law school experience and your resume.

• The Willis Society (highest ONU academic society, top 10 percent of third-year class)
• Order of Barristers (national honorary society related to moot court)
• Phi Kappa Phi (national law honorary society)
• Dean’s List (3.5 GPA or higher) 
• Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award (students with highest cumulative GPAs)
• Summer Scholar Award (summer stipend for research with ONU law professor)
• Cali Excellence for the Future Award (highest scoring student)
• The Liberty Bell Award (outstanding community service)
• Law Review Awards (excellence in legal journalism)
• American Bar Association Awards (top students in Municipal Corporations and Land Use seminar)
• The American Bankruptcy Law Journal Award (highest grade in Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Award (excellence in family law)
• National Association of Women’s Lawyers Award (outstanding female graduate)

ONU Law does not discriminate against otherwise qualified disabled individuals in regard to examinations. Accordingly, we provide reasonable accommodations related to examination procedures when a student provides sufficient documentation describing his or her disability and the accommodations(s) requested in accordance with school procedures. Information on the school’s policy and necessary forms are available by contacting the Dean’s Office.

We believe, contrary to a strict interpretation, that the law, in particular, the Constitution serves human values. We believe that the Constitution is a charter of liberty, the blueprint for a noble and unique experiment engineered to maximize human happiness. The goal of the Constitution is to structure government in order to promote the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our prosperity, and to form a perfect union.

BLSA is dedicated to articulating and promoting the professional needs and goals of Black law students; by fostering and encouraging professional competence; and providing a forum for the discussion of local, national, and school community issues affecting both the Black law student community and the university community. BLSA provides its members with professional networking and mentorships, study tips and aids, social events, and the opportunity to participate in community service activities. Please do not be discouraged if you are not a minority within the student body, as all are welcome. Our mission is to build community among law students and discuss issues that affect us all.

It is imperative for us, as advocates of the law, to speak up about the injustices humans face. Our mission is to engage in and encourage vital conversations about the advancement of individual freedom and human dignity. Each article is an attempt to educate and spark dialogue by exploring exciting and rapidly developing areas of the law. As future lawyers, we feel it is up to us to ensure that the power of the law is used for justice. The purpose of the Civil Rights Law Journal (Civil Rights Law Journal) is to create an avenue for law students to improve their research and writing skills while raising awareness of injustices they feel passionate about. We aim to foster advocacy in our community and educate to build bridges and break down barriers amongst students across the nation. It is the responsibility of the Civil Rights Law Journal to uphold the Student Handbook, University policies, and the educational mission of Ohio Northern University.

To provide law students with a forum to discuss contemporary environmental issues, including things like environmental justice and climate change.

The Icelandic Legal Exchange Program (ILEP) promotes the understanding of differences between the legal systems of Iceland and the United States. ILEP is a cultural exchange program that fosters education and understanding through interaction between ONU Law Students and Icelandic Law Students.

The purpose and mission of the International Law Journal is to provide students with the means to improve their research and writing skills to promote a greater understanding of international law by a unique publication of diverse scholarship, produced by student editors, that analyzes law from global perspectives and addresses topics of international legal significance. The International Law Journal will aim to provide an outlet for community and positive social culture on campus, new ways to connect with ONU’s alumni base and existing ONU Law organizations, and the opportunity for professional networking.

The purpose of this club is to encourage student discussion on the various aspects of international law, sponsor speakers and topics on international topics, aid students in the pursuit of career opportunities in international law, provide students with networking opportunities in the various aspects of international law, and the pursuit of philanthropic activities.

We affirm the strength brought to the law by a lawyer’s personal religious conviction. We strive through public service and professional excellence to promote fairness and virtue founded upon the rule of law.

Laws for Paws works with nonprofits (ex: Humane Society) to create awareness for pets of all kinds as well as promote simple ways you can help and/or save them from adoption care facilities and puppy mills.

Legal Association of Women is devoted to promoting discussion and action regarding a broad spectrum of issues concerning women, their relationship to the law and to the law school. LAW seeks to provide a forum for addressing legal issues that affect future female attorneys with the goal of fostering equality both within the College of Law community as well as the community at large through various activities and events.

The purpose of Lawtinos is to promote and celebrate equality in the legal profession and community. The main goal of this organization is to discuss any and all issues, news, accomplishments, and resources surrounding the Latino community. Lawtinos is a safe place for members to share their stories.

The purpose of the Ohio Northern University Law Review is to publish and distribute the Ohio Northern University Law Review and to sponsor the annual Ohio Northern University Law Review Symposium. Furthermore, the Law Review serves the legal community by providing training in the skills of legal research and writing for those students who have demonstrated advanced scholastic ability.

Competition is woven into the fabric at ONU Law, starting your first year. Through Moot Court, you’ll refine your oral advocacy, trial and brief writing skills through participation in prominent appellate and trial advocacy competitions both regionally and nationally. Our Moot Court Program, which dates back to the 1950s, enjoys a long and storied tradition of excellence.

OUTLAWS is an organization aimed at creating a space for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to come together. The organization's goal is to create a community space and discuss legal issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. 

The mission of Phi Alpha Delta is to promote the ideals of the legal profession into law students. P.A.D. strives to do that through community service, continuing education, and social activities to promote fraternalism. The purpose of the Fraternity is to form a strong bond uniting students and teachers of the law with members of the Bench and Bar in a fraternal fellowship designed to advance the ideals of liberty and equal justice under law; to stimulate excellence in scholarship; to inspire the virtues of compassion and courage; to foster integrity and professional competence; to promote the welfare of its members; to encourage their moral, intellectual, and cultural advancement; so that each member may enjoy a lifetime of honorable profession and public service. Motto: Service to the student, to the school, the profession, and the community.

The Public Interest Law Association will encourage law students to participate in pro bono opportunities, by collaborating with local judges, pro bono attorneys, government leaders, and legal aid staff, thereby, increasing their legal knowledge and facilitating community awareness of the law. Law students will work with local pro bono and public interest attorneys to identify and assist in substantive areas of law affecting the low-income citizens of their community. Law students will gain legal experience with the law while also assisting low income citizens otherwise unable to obtain legal assistance.

The Sports Law Society gives law students the chance to see what it is like to practice in the sports law industry. It exposes them to members who are already in it and shows them what it takes to excel. Students will also be given the chance to begin utilizing their skills with regard to sports law through competitions and journaling. The Society will provide students with access to alumni in the filed as well as other members we have created connections with. If you have any interest in ever obtaining a client in the industry, or just want to get a general sense for what exactly the industry is, Sports Law Society is the perfect group to join.

The Student Bar Association at ONU exists as a form of student governance. Each student in the law school is automatically a member of SBA. SBA organizes several events a year, including the Race Judicata and the Barristers Ball. It also helps fund other events in conjunction with other student organizations. The goal of the organization is to foster a spirit of collegiality and community within the law school.

Founded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order. We are committed to the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks to promote awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities. The Society is a membership organization that features a Student Division, a Lawyers Division, and a Faculty Division. The Student Division includes more than 10,000 law students at all of the 204 ABA-accredited law schools as well as 10 additional chapters based at non-accredited law schools, satellite campuses for ABA-accredited schools, and a few undergraduate institutions. The national office provides speakers and other assistance to the chapters in organizing their lectures, debates, and educational activities. In the 2017-2018 academic year, our student chapters hosted 1,123 events, with a total attendance of about 63,395 students. Mission Statement: By providing a forum for legal experts of opposing views to interact with members of the legal profession, the judiciary, law students, academics, and the architects of public policy, the Society has redefined the terms of legal debate. Our expansion in membership, chapters, and program activity has been matched by the rapid growth of the Society's reputation and the quality and influence of our events. We have fostered a greater appreciation for the role of separation of powers; federalism; limited, constitutional government; and the rule of law in protecting individual freedom and traditional values. Overall, the Society's efforts are improving our present and future leaders' understanding of the principles underlying American law.

Study the origins of common law and the rule of law in English history, with the J-Term travel course The Rule of Law in English History. During the course you will familiarize yourself with the manner in which the concept of the rule of law has evolved and expanded over time in the context of English history. While all common law countries firmly believe in the concept, it has manifested itself in different ways at different times and in different circumstances. While in the U.K., you’ll get to visit places that have been important to the evolution of the nation and its legal institutions, including Parliament, the Inns of Court, the Tower of London, and the city of Oxford.

For more than 55 years, ONU Law has partnered with the University of Iceland, allowing ONU students to travel to Reykjavik for a week-long social exchange or for a semester study at the University of Iceland. Students in the social exchange program host Icelandic law students for a week-long visit to Ohio, and later can travel to Iceland during spring break, visiting Parliament, the Supreme Court, and taking part in cultural excursions. Students may also participate in a semester abroad studying at the University of Iceland, taking courses in international and comparative law. The University of Iceland is a leader in international environmental law, and offers a variety of courses related to international law, human rights, the law of armed conflict, and many environmental topics.

From ancient Mayan culture to contemporary society, you’ll gain new insights through the study abroad course Law and Justice in Latin America. One week of on-campus instruction is followed by a two-week trip to Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The region’s past and present provide excellent contexts in which to study how the law both shapes and is shaped by society. The course explores the legal system of the Maya, one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations in the Americas. You’ll learn about ancient Mayan political and social structures, sources of law, and select aspects of Mayan criminal, property, family, and international law. The course also addresses contemporary legal issues facing the region, with particular emphasis on climate change, immigration, and human rights. While in Latin America, you will visit key Mayan archaeological sites, tour a coffee farm, learn to cook Mexican food, snorkel in the Caribbean Sea, perform a service project in a remote Mayan village, and much more!