Pritzker School of Law

Northwestern University
Pritzker School of Law
Motto
  • Quaecumque sunt vera (Latin)
  • Ὁ Λόγος πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας - Ho logos pleres charitos kai aletheias (Greek)
  • Whatsoever things are true (Philippians 4:8 AV)
  • The word full of grace and truth (Gospel of John 1:14)
Established
  • 1859 (as law department of the Old University of Chicago)
  • 1873 (as Union College of Law)
  • 1891 (as Northwestern University School of Law)
  • 2015 (current name)
School typePrivate law school
Parent endowmentUS $10.19 billion
DeanZachary Clopton
LocationChicago, Illinois, U.S.
41°53′47″N 87°37′03″W / 41.8963°N 87.6174°W / 41.8963; -87.6174
Enrollment658
Faculty190
USNWR ranking10th (tie) (2025)
Bar pass rate92% (2017)
Websitelaw.northwestern.edu
ABA profileStandard 509 Report

The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (formerly known as Northwestern University School of Law from 1891 to 2015) is the law school of Northwestern University, a private research university. The law school is located on the university's Chicago campus. Northwestern Law is considered part of the T14, an unofficial designation in the legal community for the best law schools in the United States.

Founded in 1859, it was the first law school established in Chicago. Notable alumni include numerous governors of several states; Arthur Goldberg, United States Supreme Court justice; Adlai Stevenson, governor of Illinois, cabinet secretary, and Democratic presidential candidate; John Paul Stevens, United States Supreme Court justice; Newton Minow, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); and Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago (1983–87) and, previously, a member of the United States House of Representatives.