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I have to decide by this Friday and I am completely torn.

I have been offered a full tuition scholarship at both schools.

I plan on remaining in the midwest and I have no plans to work in a large firm or corporation. I hope to work in public interest or government in environmental law and I am going to pursue a joint degree in environmental studies at each school. (An MPA in the SPEA at IU for those of you that may know about it)

I would really appreciate any insight that anyone could offer. Thanks

Want to work in Indiana? IUB

Want to work anywhere else? Illinois

bk187 wrote:Want to work in Indiana? IUB

Want to work anywhere else? Illinois

This.

Illinois is a much more highly regarded school historically.

Thanks for your help. That seems to be the general consensus on this site. Is there anyone out there that disagrees?

Indiana's biggest home market is Indianapolis

UIUC's is Chicago

I've never lived in either but would be willing to venture that Chicago might be the better choice.

Sandro wrote:Indiana's biggest home market is Indianapolis

UIUC's is Chicago

I've never lived in either but would be willing to venture that Chicago might be the better choice.

Kinda how I see it, too.

Outside of the Midwest, and the further you get from there, I'm not sure it really makes a difference.

If you really didn't care where you ended up, I'd go where I felt more comfortable spending three years of my life. If you want higher salaries (I'm supposing generally because of higher COL, you know, cuz it's Chicago), Illinois is your spot, though.

Sauer Grapes wrote:

bk187 wrote:Want to work in Indiana? IUB

Want to work anywhere else? Illinois

Illinois is a much more highly regarded school historically.

You want to stick it out in the midwest, so I would pick IL personally

I chose UIUC in a similar situation.

bball25 wrote:I chose UIUC in a similar situation.

Are you happy with your decision? What made you pick Illinois?

UIUC has better chances for biglaw than IUB (around 20% vs. below 10%). Also, the consensus seems to be that UIUC is more portable than IUB. So take UIUC, hands down.

In my opinion, this is a much closer decision. In two or three years, Indiana's reputation should be much improved due to its very well funded scholarship pool which is significantly raising the student quality at IUB.
Visit both law schools & then decide. (Although you probably do not have enough time to visit in the next few days so try using virtual visits.)

I call bullshit. Georgetown has run up from 166-170 to 168-172 over the past three years, and it still is ranked 14th on USNWS, and seen the same way by law firms. If Georgetown isn't pulling in extra cache, no way in hell IUB is.

Georgetown is competing in a different league than Illinois & Indiana.

P.S. Both are currently ranked at #23 by USNews & Indiana's LSAT scores are rapidly rising & its acceptance rate should decline.

Thats true enough, perhaps the spread is far tighter where Georgetown is, but merely raising the LSAT scores, even if it raises the USNWS ranking, is not in and of itself going to raise school prestige, which is very anchored. For instance, Yale would have to really fuck up their admissions to take a real hit in its reputation among law firms.

Hardie harr harr on the P.S

dissonance1848 wrote:I call bullshit. Georgetown has run up from 166-170 to 168-172 over the past three years, and it still is ranked 14th on USNWS, and seen the same way by law firms. If Georgetown isn't pulling in extra cache, no way in hell IUB is.

Not really relevant. IUB had a low LSAT med and range in comparison to where it is now ranked. GULC's LSAT was similar to other schools near its ranking, so raising it didn't raise its overall score in USNWR's computation.

As far as the OP, I would choose Illinois. I was hoping to be making this choice this year (and may end up making it next year). IUB has a couple of random strong ties (Washington and SF according to them), but Illinois is better for Chicago, and probably better nationwide. I would say that Indianapolis is probably the only reason to pick IU over Illinois (as seems to be the general consensus)

midwestson wrote:I have to decide by this Friday and I am completely torn.

I have been offered a full tuition scholarship at both schools.

I plan on remaining in the midwest and I have no plans to work in a large firm or corporation. I hope to work in public interest or government in environmental law and I am going to pursue a joint degree in environmental studies at each school. (An MPA in the SPEA at IU for those of you that may know about it)

I would really appreciate any insight that anyone could offer. Thanks

Well, Illinois has a substantially stronger home market and, as others have pointed out, is historically the stronger law school. I don't know that its much more "portable" than Indiana: they're both regional law schools. It's just that they share the same region and Illinois is stronger in that region. The only reason I hesitate is that you've pointed to a specific desire to work in environmental policy.

Indiana is definitely better known for "environmental studies", but I know exactly one person who actually works in environmental law. (She did the Joint JD/MPA, but also got Magna Cum Laude so...) I'm curious to hear more about your career ambitions. Yeah, IU's public and environmental policy program blows Illinois's out of the water, but "environmental law" is a hard nut to crack.

If you want to work in environmental or public policy, even if that might not be as a lawyer, I'd maybe go to IU. Then again, if that were the case, why bother with the JD? If you're going to law school, you had better be planning to work as a lawyer. Your best job prospects "as a lawyer" (forgetting anything environmental) are going to be at Illinois.

Thanks for all the help. I've been leaning towards IU because they seem to have a stronger emphasis on environment and public interest and I think I would enjoy living in Bloomington, but I will have to give U of I some serious thought...over the next three days.

midwestson wrote:Thanks for all the help. I've been leaning towards IU because they seem to have a stronger emphasis on environment and public interest and I think I would enjoy living in Bloomington, but I will have to give U of I some serious thought...over the next three days.

Put it this way... you have a better chance of being an environmental lawyer out of Indiana, but you have a better chance of being a lawyer period out of Illinois.

The odds aren't good of making it in environmental law, but if you really want a shot at that and are willing to sacrifice better overall prospects at Illinois, then go to Indiana.

Why is this even a question? Both schools are free, go to the better one in the same region. Illinois.