UChi vs. NYU vs. Northwestern Forum

[2014]

NU and UChi place fairly equally in Chicago so to the extent that is your first preference, UChi is not worth much if any additional debt. UChi probably has an advantage in DC, though it may be a factor of NU not having a sizable enough contingent who want it to make an actual assessment. To the extent you want DC, UChi is worth some premium but certainly not $125k.

As far as your fedgov concerns - I would think the bigger factor there is going to be what firm you go to out of law school. It may be a pipe dream if you do Chi first, since the Chi outposts of the agencies you list are going to be relatively small and the DC/NY hubs are unlikely to care about your experience at Sidley Chi or wherever. So to the extent fed gov prefers to hire out of more prestigious firms, which is plausible, Chicago probably opens you up to marginally more options.

Again, when you discount that all out and consider that you are discussing a scenario to occur like 9 years from now - it is worth SOME premium for Chicago, but certainly not $125k.

Go to NU.

[WheninLaw]

Former UoC grad here. Unless you have some specific desire to clerk or work at a boutique (you shouldn't), NU by a mile.

I'd probably pay 10k/year max more for UoC.

I'm more interested in transactional work at this point, so I don't see myself gunning for clerkships or boutiques (although I realize that things may change when I get to school).

Digging into the employment data at each school offers a relatively clear picture of outcomes straight out of school, but do you think that, say, attending UoC offers significantly more mid-career flexibility (both geographically and in terms of opportunities) than does NU? Or is it more the case that at that point in your career, alma mater is relatively irrelevant?

I don't want you to think that I'm trying to rationalize either school by asking this, I just want to make an as well-informed decision as possible come time for deposit deadlines.

Come mid-career, your body of work (firm, practice area, etc.) will be significantly more important than school. Maybe some people would be more impressed by the UoC degree, but I doubt it.

If transactional, they really are close to peers.

[brendo17]

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[Glacial]

Northwestern was consensus pick at the former costs, do these updated figures change anything?

Nope. Take NU for free and enjoy life.

[twocabins3112]

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[NUDad]

I agree with others who say NU by a mile. Michigan not a bad choice either, but Chicago and NYU not worth $125K+!