How to Get Into SIU Simmons Law (2026-2027 Guide)

Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School in Carbondale offers a small, full-time daytime JD. Its strengths include clinical public service, health law, family law, and trial practice, with the Civil Practice Clinic and Metro East program supporting practical training.

This guide walks you through how to get into SIU Simmons Law.

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Admissions numbers
Application essays
Resume
Recommendations
Interviews
Deadlines and testing
Scholarships and cost
Programs and curriculum
Employment outcomes
Areas of study
Clinics and experience
Faculty and journals
Student life

1. SIU Simmons Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics

SIU Simmons Law Class of 2028:

LSAT: 75th: 155 | Median: 149 | 25th: 146
GPA: 75th: 3.78 | Median: 3.38 | 25th: 2.93

SIU Simmons Law Class of 2027:

LSAT: 75th: 152 | Median: 148 | 25th: 146
GPA: 75th: 3.63 | Median: 3.38 | 25th: 3.02

The fall 2025 entering class grew to 133 students from 109 in fall 2024. The LSAT median rose one point, and its upper quartile rose three. The GPA median held steady while the upper quartile increased and the lower quartile declined. Both cohorts were full-time, consistent with SIU's daytime JD structure.

Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.

For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.

2. SIU Simmons Law Application Essays

Personal Statement (required)

The personal statement should be two to three pages, double-spaced.

The school's instructions:

“All applicants to Simmons Law must include a personal statement that addresses the following two questions: What are your career plans after law school or areas of interest in the law? Describe any life experiences that would indicate unusual drive, determination, perseverance, motivation, or leadership characteristics.”

For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.

For more on making your whole application work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.

Addenda and Character & Fitness (if applicable)

SIU requires a separate explanation for gaps longer than six months in your education or employment history. Those gaps must also appear on the resume. Its character and fitness instructions require details about reportable incidents, including dates, locations, charges, fees, and final outcomes. The disclosure requirement extends to incidents that were dismissed, sealed, or expunged, among other dispositions specified by the school. Applicants also have an ongoing duty to update their disclosures.

I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.

3. SIU Simmons Law Resume Requirements

Submit a resume covering all post-high-school education, employment, honors, awards, extracurricular activities, and community service. Identify gaps longer than six months and explain them in a separate addendum.

For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.

4. SIU Simmons Law Letters of Recommendation

SIU requires two letters of recommendation as part of the completed application, alongside the personal statement, resume, and academic credentials.

For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).

5. SIU Simmons Law Interview Process

The admissions committee reviews completed application files and generally allows up to three weeks for that review. SIU also offers virtual and in-person visits through the admissions office for applicants exploring the school.

6. SIU Simmons Law Deadlines and Decision Options

Testing Policy

SIU accepts the LSAT or GRE. LSAT scores must be from within the past five years. If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.

Application Dates and Fees

Application Deadline: July 1 is SIU's recurring fall-entry deadline.
Scholarship Timing: Apply by the end of January for the best chance at scholarship funding.
Decisions Begin: Application review begins in mid-October.
Application Fee: $50.
Entry Term: Fall only.

The scholarship timetable matters more than the final July deadline for applicants comparing costs. Submit a complete application early enough to participate in that funding process, rather than treating the last application date as the target. SIU reviews files as they become complete.

Program Formats

The full-time daytime JD ordinarily takes three years and requires 90 credits. Students who attend two continuous summer sessions may qualify to finish in two and a half years. SIU does not offer a part-time program, so the accelerated possibility is not an evening or reduced-load alternative.

7. SIU Simmons Law Scholarships and Financial Aid

Merit Scholarships

Admission scholarships can cover up to the cost of tuition. Awards are guaranteed for three years while the student remains in good academic standing. SIU does not impose an additional conditional-scholarship requirement beyond that standard. In 2024-2025, 64% of students received grants or scholarships.

Law Dean's Club Scholarship

This donor-supported award assists promising admitted students with financial need; selection can also consider a high LSAT score. Admitted and continuing students apply for donor awards through the Saluki Scholarship Portal. The recurring application window is October 1 through January 31, including any required supplemental applications.

Cost of Attendance

For 2026-2027, tuition is $547 per credit for both resident and nonresident domestic students. The first-year budget assumes 31 credits, or $16,957 in tuition. Mandatory fees and academic and bar-preparation support bring nonwaivable educational charges to $22,706. Total estimated attendance costs are $40,837 on campus or $43,809 off campus, including living expenses and health insurance. Eligible students can waive the insurance charge with other qualifying coverage.

For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.

8. SIU Simmons Law Concurrent Degree Programs

SIU offers concurrent degrees with these university partners:

JD/MD: School of Medicine; a six-year sequence beginning with two years of law and summer study.
JD/MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering: Engineering; as few as three years, including summers.
JD/MHA: Health Administration; 81 law credits and 33 health-administration credits.
JD/MSW: Social Work; the social-work track depends on prior preparation.
JD/MSEd: Educational Administration and Higher Education; law and school administration.
JD/PhD in Political Science: Political Science; combined legal study and doctoral research.
JD/MAcc: School of Accountancy; approved accounting and law courses count toward both degrees.
JD/MBA: College of Business and Analytics; 81 law credits and 24 business credits.
JD/MPA: SIU Carbondale's Public Administration program; law and public management.

Students need separate admission and program approval. Except for the JD/MD, concurrent study begins after the first year of law.

9. SIU Simmons Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)

SIU Simmons Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):

Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 73.0%
BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 6.8%
Federal clerkships: 0.0%
Public service (including government): 20.3%

Illinois accounted for the largest share of employment, followed by Missouri and Indiana. Small firms were substantially more common destinations than large firms, alongside government and public-interest work. The strongest geographic case for SIU is an Illinois-centered career with nearby regional options, not a plan built around national BigLaw recruiting.

10. SIU Simmons Law Areas of Study and Specializations

Health Law: The JD/MD and JD/MHA connect law with medical practice and health administration. Courses include Bioethics and the Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Public Health Law, and Regulation of Health Care Professionals, supporting work across the healthcare sector.

Criminal Law and Trial Practice: The Metro East Criminal Justice Experiential Learning Program places third-year students in state and federal legal offices. Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Sentencing, and Trial Advocacy provide the classroom foundation for courtroom preparation and supervised practice.

Family Law and Estate Planning: The Civil Practice Clinic and Juvenile Justice Clinic address planning documents, guardianships, and children's interests. Angela Upchurch's work in children and family law complements courses such as Children and the Law, Family Law, and Trusts and Estates.

Intellectual Property: Thomas Reichert studies trademark disputes through empirical and computational methods. The JD/MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering connects technical training with legal study, while listed courses include Patent Law, Copyright Law, and Trademarks and Unfair Competition.

Immigration Law: The Immigration Clinic partners with The Immigration Project to serve detained noncitizens. Students connect immigration and administrative-law questions with interviews, interpreter-assisted communication, research, and observation of hearings, extending classroom study into supervised assistance on immigration-related matters.

11. SIU Simmons Law Clinics and Experiential Learning

SIU's three clinics focus on direct service to people facing civil, family, and immigration matters:

Civil Practice Clinic: Students serve people age 60 and older across 13 southern Illinois counties, preparing estate-planning documents, handling guardianship matters, interviewing clients, and managing files under attorney supervision.
Juvenile Justice Clinic: Students assist with representation of children's best interests in Jackson County abuse, neglect, and dependency cases, working within the guardian ad litem role rather than criminal defense.
Immigration Clinic: Third-year students work with The Immigration Project on matters involving detained noncitizens. They conduct interviews, work with interpreters, research issues, and observe immigration hearings during a semester-long course introduced in fall 2026.

Pro Bono and Experiential Learning

Students must complete six approved experiential credits. Public-interest placements include prosecutors, public defenders, legal-services offices, and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Judicial externships emphasize research, writing, and observation in chambers. Placement approval and applicable student-practice eligibility are required.

The Metro East Criminal Justice Experiential Learning Program is a residential semester for third-year students with at least a 2.600 GPA. Placements include the U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Defender's Office, and state prosecutor and public-defender offices. Students may counsel clients, prepare documents, negotiate, and appear in court under supervision. The program also connects students with problem-solving courts serving people facing substance-use, mental-health, and veterans' issues.

12. SIU Simmons Law Notable Faculty and Journals

Faculty

Hannah Brenner Johnson: Dean and Hiram H. Lesar Professor of Law, studying inequality in the legal profession and institutional power; co-author of Leadership, Law, and Pipelines to Power.
Angela Upchurch: Associate dean and professor of law, working in children and family law, procedure, and legal education; co-author of Click & Learn: Civil Procedure and a university Distinguished Teacher.
Dale Aschemann: Clinical associate professor of law in the Civil Practice Clinic; previously spent more than two decades in private practice focused on complex litigation and whistleblower representation.
Thomas Reichert: Assistant professor of law, researching trademark confusion and other intellectual-property questions; creator of The Fair Use Database and a former patent and trademark practitioner.

Journals

Southern Illinois University Law Journal: The student-run, online-only flagship publishes legal scholarship. Student editors select and edit articles, and staff members write notes considered for publication in the following academic year.

13. SIU Simmons Law Culture and Student Life

SIU combines a small daytime cohort with the resources of a broader research university. Parents Attending Law School offers a community for students balancing family responsibilities, while the Intellectual Property Society and other organizations connect classmates around professional interests. SCALE adds continuing professional-skills programming outside ordinary courses.

Carbondale anchors the school in southern Illinois rather than a major-city law-firm district. Clinic work reaches surrounding counties, while Metro East placements extend the school's practical footprint toward the St. Louis region. Students building local relationships encounter the same regional orientation reflected in the school's graduate employment pattern.

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Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the SIU Simmons Law website before applying.

Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.