Top Law Schools

Hi everyone! This is my first post and I am really looking for some guidance.

I am transferring from a T4 Law School to either Notre Dame or U of ILL.

ND isn't giving me a scholarship (no surprise)

UIUC is offering me $10k for 2L and $40K for 3L

Which school should I choose? I'm planning on practicing Business Law in Chicago upon graduation.

Thanks for the feedback!

Whatever's cheapest. You arnt getting biglaw so just mitigate debt. In fact, get your school to give a full ride and stay.

ChgoHitMan wrote:Hi everyone! This is my first post and I am really looking for some guidance.

I am transferring from a T4 Law School to either Notre Dame or U of ILL.

ND isn't giving me a scholarship (no surprise)

UIUC is offering me $10k for 2L and $40K for 3L

Which school should I choose? I'm planning on practicing Business Law in Chicago upon graduation.

Thanks for the feedback!

If you want to work in Chicago, Illinois is the only way to go here. On top of that, Illinois is giving you a decent amount of money! ND is a fine school, but going there would just be indefensible considering it'd be worse for where you want to work and cost more anyway.

Notre Dame is a poor decision in this situation. Do not give up $50k if you want Chicago -- ND can't help you anymore than UIUC can as a transfer. Biglaw will be nigh impossible coming from a TTTT, as even the top of the class at UIUC is not a lock for biglaw. I agree with the above poster that if you can coax a full ride out of your current school, just stay unless working in Chicago is a must-do.

About the top 20% of UIUC goes to BigLaw.

AFAIK Notre Dame and Illinois are peer schools that perform similarly, but in different areas. UIUC is better for Chicago, ND (and WUSTL) place better on the coasts.

Pick whichever one is cheapest.

Heres my point: ND and Illinois are both fine, reputable law schools. If you do well then you will have no problem getting a nice job or possibly a fed clerkship. Your situation is different as a transfer. I'm led to believe that you are not ranked extremely high at your school or else you would be going to a t20/t14. You will not get biglaw from those schools if you are say, top 15% at tttt. If you are closer to top 5% then I would say you have a shot, but, again, if that were the case I would think you would have better options.
If my hunch is correct, and you are not ranked around top 5%, then take the money from your current school, make good connections in the area, graduate near the top of your class and see what happens. You wont have much debt so you will be financially free...which is an enviable position to be in.

I wanted begin by thanking everyone for all their advice.

I was between 5%-10% at my TTTT school. I didn't apply to T14 because I didn't realize I had a chance.

I was accepted to #20 GWU, but since I want to practice in Chicago, I felt that ND (#26) was the better option or UIUC ($$,$$$).

I'm still torn.

ND = median private salary of 105k and 60% employed at graduation
UIUC = median private salary of 81k and 43% employed at graduation

I'm not an ND fan anymore than UIUC. It just seems like ND is the way to go since UIUC is ranked so low and they seem to want students badly.

ChgoHitMan wrote:I wanted begin by thanking everyone for all their advice.

I was between 5%-10% at my TTTT school. I didn't apply to T14 because I didn't realize I had a chance.

I was accepted to #20 GWU, but since I want to practice in Chicago, I felt that ND (#26) was the better option or UIUC ($$,$$$).

I'm still torn.

ND = median private salary of 105k and 60% employed at graduation
UIUC = median private salary of 81k and 43% employed at graduation

I'm not an ND fan anymore than UIUC. It just seems like ND is the way to go since UIUC is ranked so low and they seem to want students badly.

UIUC's ranking is purely punishment by USNEWS, they outperform many higher ranked schools by wide margins. They have been ranked higher than ND in the past, and I would bet good money that UIUC's ranking next year is <35, and by the time you graduate it will be back in the 20's. But honestly if you want ND then do ND, at least the football will be better. If you want business law in Chicago I'm kind of confused why you wouldn't pick UIUC, seeing as they have a semester long 3L program in Chicago offering courses in business law.