Top Law Schools

JMWZ wrote:Hello TLS,

I have officially narrowed my list down to two schools. I have full tuition offers at both Iowa and Illinois, so I think that either option I chose will be a good outcome for me. My estimated COA for each school is as follows:

Illinois: $44,400
Iowa: $38,000

I have $10,000 a year in support, that's why my COA is a little lower than most. I will fund the rest through loans.

My areas of interest are antitrust law and M&A. My undergraduate major is economics, so I think that these legal fields tie in well with that, especially antitrust law. I know that Iowa has a particularly strong antitrust program. I would like to do biglaw for a few years out law school, then either move in-house into a large corporation or into a private equity firm.

I have lived in Minnesota my entire life, more specifically in St. Paul. I have ties to the area and in the legal community. I like the option of coming back to the Twin Cities, but I'm not set on that. I know that Iowa has better placement in Minnesota which makes it appealing. Illinois gives me a better shot at Chicago and other major markets however.

Iowa is closer to home, better placement in Minnesota, and has a better antitrust program. Illinois seems to be more versatile, but gives me less opportunity to come back to Minnesota. Illinois also gives me the greater chance at a great paying job out of law school. I'm truly at an impasse and anything that could be used to help me decide would be great. I think that TLS will say Illinois because of the big law, but I think I could be just as happy at a mid-sized firm of 50 or so lawyers in the right situation and place.

My numbers are 3.66 and 162.

cron1834 wrote:I'm from MN. If you want to work there, go to a T14 or UMN for cheap. Unless you have some plausible experience/tie with Chicago, then UIUC for full tuition is reasonable.

Winston1984 wrote:Why not retake the LSAT? Sounds like you do want biglaw, and specifically biglaw in the MN. Would go to a T14 or at least Minnesota for super cheap.

Rigo wrote:UIUC has twice the biglaw placement of Iowa, so I choose Illinois of the two if biglaw is the number one objective.
If specifically Minnesota biglaw is the objective, then I don't know.

JMWZ wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:Why not retake the LSAT? Sounds like you do want biglaw, and specifically biglaw in the MN. Would go to a T14 or at least Minnesota for super cheap.

I studied for the LSAT as hard as I ever have studied for anything. My highest practice test score was 160. I feel very fortunate that I ended up with a 162. To be honest, when I saw my score I thought LSAC had made a mistake.

Clyde Frog wrote:

JMWZ wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:Why not retake the LSAT? Sounds like you do want biglaw, and specifically biglaw in the MN. Would go to a T14 or at least Minnesota for super cheap.

I studied for the LSAT as hard as I ever have studied for anything. My highest practice test score was 160. I feel very fortunate that I ended up with a 162. To be honest, when I saw my score I thought LSAC had made a mistake.

What study material did you use?

Rigo wrote:I'm a bit surprised the COL estimate is about $2k a year higher for Illinois. Chambana is pretty darn cheap and it's easy to keep COL low. I imagine it's the same in Iowa City, but I didn't realize it was possibly to go significantly lower than UIUC.

JMWZ wrote:

Rigo wrote:I'm a bit surprised the COL estimate is about $2k a year higher for Illinois. Chambana is pretty darn cheap and it's easy to keep COL low. I imagine it's the same in Iowa City, but I didn't realize it was possibly to go significantly lower than UIUC.

I think the big difference is that UIUC has exorbitant fees. From all the research I've done, it seems like living is about the same between the two schools.

Wingtip88 wrote:Here's a breakdown of the estimated fees: http://www.registrar.illinois.edu/g-fees-cr-1516

zombie mcavoy wrote:I would retake and go to UMN.

If you're not going to retake UIUC is hands down the better option. I wouldn't go to Iowa. Don't expect either to get you to Minneapolis, though.

JMWZ wrote:

Wingtip88 wrote:Here's a breakdown of the estimated fees: http://www.registrar.illinois.edu/g-fees-cr-1516

Hmm, do you have any idea how they arrived with this fee estimate?
https://www.law.illinois.edu/admissions ... d-expenses

JMWZ wrote:

zombie mcavoy wrote:I would retake and go to UMN.

If you're not going to retake UIUC is hands down the better option. I wouldn't go to Iowa. Don't expect either to get you to Minneapolis, though.

Yes, I'm not too concerned about getting back to MSP, it would just be an added bonus.

Would you mind elaborating on why UIUC is the clear choice? (That reads sarcastic, but I am honestly interested in knowing your reasoning)

bl1nds1ght wrote:I voted Illinois.

1. Better biglaw placement by ~10% over Iowa (~25% vs. ~15%).

Honestly, that's really the only reason. Otherwise, they strike me as nearly identical schools that both feed into the Midwest and that would both give you a good education.

If you really reeeeaaally wanted anti-trust, then consider going to Iowa, but I dn't see how the same type of career isn't going to be available to you out of IL.