Chase is a law school dedicated to student success and well-being. Since our founding in 1893, Chase College of Law has provided unique opportunities for high-quality legal education to motivated learners throughout the region and the nation.
Chase welcomes students from a broad and diverse range of pathways to study law in the classroom, in the courtroom, and in the community through a variety of learning experiences. Whatever passion motivates your decision to pursue a career in law, Chase can navigate that journey and deliver the necessary knowledge and skills for a lifelong and fulfilling professional course.
Our program of legal education offers personalized, small-sized classes where students share big ideas with dedicated faculty. Chase professors are laser focused on student success, ensuring that our graduates know what the law is and how to use it to achieve justice, fairness, and a better world for all. Chase students will have the opportunity to represent clients in any of our live-client clinics, starting their journey toward law practice as soon as their second year in law school. With hundreds of externship placements across the nation, Chase students assist judges, prosecutors, criminal defense counsel, corporate lawyers, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and so many more legal professionals during their time in law school.
I invite you to learn more about our warm and thriving Chase community. Please reach out with any questions or just to say hello. You can reach me at jdaar@nku.edu.
Judith Daar | Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold Dean | Professor of Law
Best Wishes, Dean Judith Daar
Working in a clinic or externship is a great way for students to learn by being involved in real cases and helping out actual clients.
Students have the opportunity to help people in a variety of ways. Whether it's protecting a neglected child, pursuing medical treatment for an incarcerated adult, or drafting a contract for an aspiring entrepreneur, students can put their developing legal skills to good use. These clinics provide an invaluable service to the community, and they give students a chance to get real-world experience in the legal field.
Children and juveniles need someone to fight for them in areas such as abuse, custody, access to education, and status offenses. Advocate for our young clients, negotiate on their behalf, and take cases to court when necessary.
Provide operations-related legal services, such as advising on the formation of a business, drafting contracts, reviewing bylaws, and analyzing regulatory issues, to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits.
"Students who complete the Constitutional Litigation Clinic graduate practice ready. The Clinic allows students to represent prisoners in all aspects of federal civil litigation, from the initial drafting of the complaint, through discovery, trial, and appeal. My job is to get the students prepared and then get out of their way so they can shine."
- David Singleton, Clinic Director and Professor of Law
Small Business & Nonprofit clinic
Children's Law Center Clinic
Students represent prisoners and former offenders in Ohio and federal courts on claims that their civil rights were violated by abuse or other means while incarcerated. Students handle all aspects of a case, with a limited law license, through trial and appeal.
Students assist the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy by investigating credible claims of inmates that they were erroneously convicted of a crime they did not commit.
Students gain practical, appellate-level experience by working with judges, lawyers, and clients in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Cincinnati.
Students work with veterans who want to upgrade their military discharge status to be eligible for benefits from the Veterans Administration.
Constitutional Litigation Clinic Kentucky innocence Project Veterans Discharge Upgrade Review Clinic Sixth Circuit ClinicKentucky Cabinet for the Environment
City of Cincinnati City of Covington Federal Public Defender
Boone County Commonwealth Attorney's Office Hamilton County (Ohio) Public Defender's Office
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth circuit supreme court of kentucky United States district court judges in cincinnati and northern kentucky
Specialized programs and a robust core curriculum prepare students to meet tomorrow's legal challenges with confidence and expertise.
As the legal marketplace continues to evolve, new lawyers must learn to adapt in order to be successful. The traditional route to becoming a lawyer is becoming increasingly competitive, and clients are demanding new types of innovative services. The Lunsford Academy helps students develop both personally and professionally, providing them with a curated honors curriculum and exclusive networking opportunities designed to give them an edge over the competition.
W. Bruce Lunsford, a Chase alumnus and business innovator has made a gift of $4 million to NKU's Salmon P. Chase College of Law. This is the largest gift in the college's 129-year history, and it will enable the Lunsford Academy to expand its law and technology program. The Academy provides law students with the opportunity to develop their skills in legal research, writing, and technology. It also offers Fellowships to students who wish to pursue careers in the technology sector.
"My experience in the JD/MBA program at Chase was a jump start for my professional journey. The professors and advisors at Chase took the time to help me cultivate a professional network, develop the confidence to stand out when interviewing and speaking in public, and craft a personal brand that continues to serve me well. I see opportunities through a different prism thanks to the education I received at Chase, and I know my company values my unique vision for the future."
"Chase has always been a lawyer’s law school and its method of teaching gave me and others like me the confidence to come out of law school feeling ready for the challenges ahead. Its dynamic faculty with real world experience gave the classroom experience a different edge that other law schools do not possess."
"Chase gave me not only the skills needed for success in a legal career, but also professionalism ideals, such as civility, independence, and public service. Inspiration from my law professors helped to solidify my commitment to excellence and to use my knowledge to help my fellow man. My degree from Chase Law gave me an advantage that I could only realize many years later."
Chase alumni provide students with enriched experiences through financial support, teaching, and mentoring. By being involved in the lives of students, alumni help shape the future of Chase.
former u.s. congressman Joe Cunningham Financial/Estate planning Andrea Costa Judge Wende Cross"Chase has a long history of preparing attorneys to practice environmental law. My Chase education gave me the tools I needed to practice environmental law, which was my goal. I have been able to do that for almost 40 years, serving in senior government positions as EPA’s Assistant for Water in Washington, D.C. and as Kentucky’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Public Protection.
I’ve also represented clients before environmental agencies throughout the country when in private practice in Washington, and now back at English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley in my hometown of Bowling Green."
“The vigorous curriculum at Chase College of Law rivals those offered at the largest and most prestigious law schools in the country. The experienced, accomplished, and personable Faculty and Staff ensure that Chase students have the courage and confidence to succeed in any field. A degree from Chase College of Law is the spark that can light a powerful flame to blaze the path to a rewarding and meaningful legal career.“
“My legal education at Chase provided me with a variety of career choices – private practice, corporate counsel, politics at the local level as a councilmember and Mayor, at the country level as a commissioner and a party chairwoman, eventually leading to my appointment as an ambassador. The variety of courses at Chase allowed me to adapt to these several careers.”
enviromental law Attorney Lajuana Wilcher
Former Abassador to Singapore Patricia Herbold
trial attorney Tory Finley
Our professors have years of teaching and practice experience and they are committed to helping students succeed. With a focus on student success, our professors provide the skills and knowledge needed to excel in today's competitive marketplace.
Our world-class faculty members are committed to providing you with an unparalleled educational experience in the classroom and through superb clinical opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience in the law outside the classroom.
Administrative Law
Alternative Dispute
Assisted
Constitutional Law
Corporate
Law
Criminal Law
Cultural Heritage Law
Employment Discrimination
Entertainment Law
Entrepreneurial Business Enviromental Law
Family Law
First Amendment Rights
Gaming Law
State and Local Government Law Health Law Holocaust-Era Claims
Informatics & Cyberspace Law
Intellectual Property International Business Transactions International Law
Juvenile Law Labor And Employment Law And Economics
Legal Ethics
Legislation
Marijuana Law Media Law
Military Law
National Security Law Payment Systems Products Liability
Property
Reproductive Medicine Securities Regulation
Sexuality, Identity, And The Law
Sports Law
Stem Cell Research
Substance Abuse Law Tax Venture Capital White-Collar Crime
Moot court and mock trial teams give students the opportunity to put their legal knowledge into practice. These competitions simulate real court cases, with students acting as either lawyers or witnesses. Through these competitions, students gain invaluable experience in courtroom procedures and learn how to think on their feet. Chase Law School's teams have been very successful in recent years, winning the Kentucky state competition and reaching the national finals in a client-counseling competition, and winning a regional competition. These experiences provide invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for Chase students.
Competitions simulate appellate practice, teaching students how to write appellate briefs and argue before appellate courts.
Competitions simulate jury trials, teaching students how to develop a theory of a case, how to prepare and deliver opening and closing arguments, and how to examine witnesses.
Competitions simulate various forms of legal negotiations, teaching bi- and multi-lateral bargaining techniques.
Competitions simulate law office consultations in which competitors, acting as attorneys, are presented with potential new clients.
Provide Chase students the opportunity to compete with each other in moot court, client counseling, and closing argument competitions. There is also an opening statement competition exclusively for first-year students.
My participation in Mock Trial has strengthened my ability to assist attorneys in real cases as a Chase student.
Kimberly PhelpsCompetition Teams Are In The Winner's Circle Because Of Their Talent And Training.
"As a first-year law student, I was nervous about what my journey would entail. However, my time at Chase has been everything I could have imagined. The professors are fantastic and show a genuine appreciation of their students. They encourage you to excel in the classroom and give you realworld experience that translates into practice. Without their help, I would have never aspired to serve the student body as President of the Student Bar Association. Chase Law School has a rich history of excellence, and I am proud to be a part of it."
"I am honored to have been elected president of the Legal Association of Women. I look forward to serving in this role as an advocate for my fellow classmates and welcome the challenges that it presents."
“My experience at Chase has been invaluable to my professional and personal development.
The relationships I have built through student organizations and leadership are relationships I will carry with me into my legal career.
Chase is a place where these important relationships are fostered and where students learn that we all succeed when we work together.”
“My 1L year was transformative in a number of ways. Law school has pushed me in ways I had never experienced before. I am lucky to attend a law school where the faculty and staff are so committed to student success. Currently, I am the President of Chase’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA). Less than 5% of practicing attorneys in America today are Black. So, not only is it important that I be a member of organizations like BLSA, which promote visibility of Black law students and their unique experience, but that I prioritize promoting active change within our law school. As of now, I hope to pursue a career that allows me to advocate for underrepresented populations such as Black men and women. ”
"Chase and the organizations I have been a part of have allowed me to flourish while helping others. Chase is a wonderful community and has given me a voice I didn't believe was possible. I am very thankful to Chase and the opportunities it has given to me."
Law school is an opportunity to gain more than just legal knowledge. It is also a time to hone networking skills, explore areas of special interest, develop leadership qualities, and build friendships and associations that can last a career. Joining student organizations and participating in activities is the best way to make the most of law school.
Whether students arrive at Chase from a small college in a small town or a large university in a major metropolis, they will find a place they can call home. That is because the area around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky offers the best of both worlds - a big city with all its hustle and bustle, and small towns with a more laid-back lifestyle. There is something for everyone here, from world-class museums and restaurants to major league sports and endless entertainment options. So come on in and make yourself at home - we're glad to have you here!
Northern Kentucky University is a great place to get an education. The campus is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, which is rated as one of the safest college towns in the nation. This makes it a great place to focus on your studies and get ahead in your career.
Cincinnati Eden
The Northern Kentucky & Cincinnati area is home to three major league sports teams, five college institutions with sports teams, and n umerous top-level amateur teams. Cincinnati also has seven major sports venues. These venues attract top athletes from all over the country to compete in a variety of different sports.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy some art and entertainment, the area around Chase is a great option. With a mix of modern and classical art, as well as new and innovative entertainment, there's something for everyone in the Northern Kentucky Cincinnati area.
Horse Racing Northern Kentucky
Law school can be expensive, but at Chase, we work hard to make sure our stu dents can graduate without excessive debt. Our scholarships and low tuition rates mean that our students can focus on their future instead of their student loans. In fact, a recent national analysis ranked us in the top fifth of all law schools for low federal student loan debt.
We believe that diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We offer scholarships that take into account students' achievements, both academic and extracurricular, as well as their socioeconomic background. Awards can range from $3,000 to a full-tuition scholar ship. Additionally, we offer a merit-based scholarship that provides priority consideration for paid positions as professors' research assistants. This is an excellent opportunity for students to hone their research and writing skills while gaining valuable experience in the field.
The Dean’s Merit Scholarship provides highly qualified students with funding in addition to other scholarship support, and it is awarded on recommendations of alumni interviews.
People who are first-generation college, low-income, or ethnically or racially diverse remain underrepresented in the legal profession. At Chase Law, we are working to change that trend.
Chase Law's "All Rise" program removes obstacles and paves a more manageable path to the legal profession for underserved individuals as they progress from the 1L year to taking the bar examination. The program offers financial and professional development support, along with attention to overall student wellness and the importance of connection.
The estimated value of this program is approximately $10,000 and is provided to the All Rise student at no cost.
The Finish Line Fund provides support to new graduates as they prepare for the bar exam. The fund helps pay for commercial bar review courses and gives students time away from employment to focus on studying.
Since its inception in late 2019, the Finish Line Fund has helped 90% of its recipients pass the bar exam.
knowing that they can start ready to practice from day one.”
Legal Analysis and Problem Solving
Contracts I and II
Torts I and II
PART-TIME day
9 Credits per semester
Basic Legal Skills - Research
Basic Legal Skills - Writing I and II
Contracts I and II
Property I and II
Torts I and II
Civil Procedure I and II
FULL-TIME
15 Credits per semester
EVENING
6 Credits per semester
Legal Analysis and Problem Solving
Basic Legal Skills-Research
Basic Legal Skills-Writing I and II
Legal Studies I and II
Torts I and II
Legal Analysis and Problem Solving
Basic Legal Skills - Research
Basic Legal Skills - Writing I and II
Law of Digital Entrepreneurship
Emerging Technologies and the Law I and II
Legal Boundaries in the Digital Age
Digital Commerce
Digital Crimes + Torts
E-Discovery
Digital Forensics
The full-time program typically meets five days per week, and you can complete your degree in three years.
The Chase evening program meets two nights a week and approximately five Saturdays each semester.
Being a student in the PT evening program at Chase has allowed me to fulfill my dream of going to law school while continuing to work full-time. I have also met lifelong friends that I hope to practice next to one day.
Jarvis Graham
