FAQs: The Quarter System
What is the quarter system?
Quarters are shorter academic units than semesters, and allow a school to offer three to four different sessions of classes per year. The Law School holds classes in Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters each year (no classes during the summer). Students will be in class for the same amount of time as a semester school, but instead will have three separate sets of classes (and professors) during the academic year. Please visit our curriculum section to learn more about the quarter system.
When do the quarters start and finish?
Our classes start in late September and end late in the spring:
Autumn Quarter: Late September to mid-December
Winter Quarter: Early January to mid-March
Spring Quarter: Early April to mid-June (2L and 3L students finish at the end of May)
What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of the quarter system?
Under the quarter system, you will have shorter classes and you take fewer of them at a time than you would in a semester system. Our students find that the quarter system allows them to take a wider variety of classes and more classes and professors overall than they would under a semester system. The quarters do move quickly - we think this is a positive thing as it keeps students very engaged in the courses.
Do I have more exams during my first year of law school?
No, this is one terrific part of the quarter system. You will not have more exams during your first year, even though you will be able to take more classes and professors throughout the duration of your career at the Law School. Because many required first-year courses will be held over two quarters (with only one exam), our first year students are eased into their exams and only have a total of eight exams: two at the end of Autumn quarter, two at the end of Winter quarter, and four at the end of Spring quarter. Students find that this system assists with the transition into taking law school exams and alleviates some of the pressure that students typically feel during their first set of exams.
Does the quarter system affect summer employment?
No, the quarter system has not been an issue for our students. Employers that recruit Chicago students are familiar with the quarter system and accomodate it in their summer programs. Our second-year students finish classes at the end of May and simply start their summer employment a few weeks later than they would under a semester system. Because our classes start much later in the fall, our students are often able to stay at their summer jobs for an additional 2-4 weeks after other students have returned to school.
How does the quarter system affect fall on-campus interviewing?
Another benefit of the quarter system is that our fall on-campus interviewing program (where hundreds of employers come to campus to interview our students) is held in August before classes begin. This schedule allows students to focus on securing their second-year summer employment before classes even begin and they do not have to miss class for interviews.
