Top Law Schools

All are roughly the same cost with scholarship $. I'm leaning towards Maurer, not because of the ranking, but because of the clinical opportunities in environmental law and their strong public policy program for a dual degree.

However, I currently work in big law in CA and have family back east and Maurer seems to be the school that everyone knows the least about. I've had Illinois recommended for their relatively strong big law placement (among peer schools) but they offer very little in environmental law and public policy and I'm not really looking to do big law again. Wisconsin has been recommended to me for a strong overall reputation. I'm familiar with Wisconsin and love Madison (how couldn't you?) and would love to live there again. The drawback being that Wisconsin's environmental law specialty focuses on land use and not high growth areas like energy and climate change. It also doesn't seem to offer the policy angle I'm looking for. Indiana and Wisconsin's employment stats are comparable with Illinois stronger in big law and seemingly weaker in everything else.

Does anyone have any strong input one way or the other?

(Note: I'm not retaking and I know these schools are relatively regional and am fine practicing within their regions.)

Where are your ties?

Specialty programs mean jack shit.

Retake.

deputydog wrote:Where are your ties?

Specialty programs mean jack shit.

Retake.

I went to undergrad in Wisconsin. I have ties there and would gladly move back. Have ties to Chicago and Indy too so no real advantage between the three. Clinical programs are helpful for placement, especially in environmental law. JD-MPA at IU's SPEA would also be advantageous for what I want to do.

Indiana technically has the best employment score (by ~1%) FWIW, but your decision is ultimately going to be dependent on where you want to end up. I'd personally take Indiana.

splitter165 wrote:I went to undergrad in Wisconsin. I have ties there and would gladly move back. Have ties to Chicago and Indy too so no real advantage between the three. Clinical programs are helpful for placement, especially in environmental law. JD-MPA at IU's SPEA would also be advantageous for what I want to do.

I'm inclined to agree with this. If you do well enough in your class, you wouldn't need to worry much about the clinical programs and dual-degree options. However, if you are like most people, then it just makes things like clinical programs (and practical experience) more important to your success.

I am in a similar boat, with goals for the JD/MPA/MSES programs. Those that say the dual degrees don't mean anything do not know enought about environmental law or the nature of what environmental lawyers do. You would make yourself much more marketable with a degree from the #1 public affairs program in the nation. En. Law is too cross disciplinary to ignore those options

I wouldn't go to UIUC and I would avoid Illinois in general. The other two options seem to come down to preference.

I would go to Illinois. But, that's entirely personal preference and is not based on anything quantifiable.

cinnamonchurros wrote:I would go to Illinois. But, that's entirely personal preference and is not based on anything quantifiable.

Dat rankings scandal...

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