The shear-induced isotropic-to-nematic phase transition of side chain liquid-crystalline polymers is studied theoretically. A modification of the previous models of main-chain liquid crystals to the case of side chain liquid-crystalline polymers is proposed. Orientational and rheological properties of the model are studied in plane-shear flow. Predictions of the present model agree qualitatively with experimental results (Pujolle-Robic, Noirez in Nature 409:167, 2001).