Northern Illinois University College of Law (NIU Law) is one of four public law schools in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is one of two public law schools in the Chicago area. The College of Law was founded as the Lewis University College of Law in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1975. It became part of Northern Illinois University in August 1979, and in 1982 moved to the DeKalb, Illinois campus, taking up residence in Swen Parson Hall, the former NIU main library. The College of Law offers the Juris Doctor degree. According to NIU Law's 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 78% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation (76% when excluding sole practitioners). According to the National Association of Law Placement employment report, 93.9% of the NIU Law Class of 2019 were employed as of ten months after graduation. Employment According to NIU Law's 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 78% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation (76% when excluding sole practitioners). Nine months after graduation, 84% of the NIU Law Class of 2019 was employed in full-time, long-term, J.D. advantage, bar passage required, or professional positions. According to the National Association of Law Placement employment report, 93.9% of the NIU Law Class of 2019 were employed as of ten months after graduation. NIU Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 14.5%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2019 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. Costs The cost of tuition and fees at the NIU College of Law for the 2020-2021 academic year is $22,082 for all U.S. residents, whether in-state or out-of-state. Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years for students starting in 2019 is $154,146. The average debt load for graduates in the Class of 2018 who borrowed at least one loan was $95,247. The national average debt load for law students in 2017 was $112,776. Students can obtain financial assistance through the university and law school in the form of research and graduate assistantships, the latter of which typically provides a full tuition waiver as well as a stipend. Legal skills training In the first three semesters of law school, NIU College of Law students take a pair of two-semester required courses, Basic Legal Research and Legal