Chicago's John Marshall Law School to merge into UIC

CHICAGO (AP) - The private John Marshall Law School will become part of the University of Illinois at Chicago, creating the city's first public law school.

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved the merger Thursday. The new school will be known as UIC John Marshall Law School and will be located at John Marshall's existing downtown Chicago campus. The first class of students to enroll will begin in the fall of 2019.

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen says it's a "historic merger," noting most major U.S. cities have a public law school.

John Marshall Law School was established in 1899 and enrolls about 1,000 students. Students will be able to access joint-degree programs across UIC's graduate schools.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education has yet to approve the merger.