Loyola Chicago Law -- Current Student Forum

[nba101790]

Hey everyone,

Just thought I'd say hi and offer to answer any questions you may have about Loyola, Chicago, the application process in general, and so on. I'm a 3L at Loyola right now and remember how exhausting this process was, so if there's anything I can do to make it easier, I'm happy to try.

Best,
Nick

[regulartime]

Thanks for doing this. While it's not my first choice, I applied to Loyola Chicago and would consider it with a strong scholarship offer. How are job prospects looking for people you know?
Is it hard to get in the clinics and field placement externships?
How are the people in your classes? Is it gunnerish or cutthroat at all?

[Monkey D Luffy]

Do you regret going to Loyola Chicago?

[KMart]

What are employment options for your friends/yourself? Do they find jobs through mass mailings or OCI?

[yenisey]

Thanks for doing this. While it's not my first choice, I applied to Loyola Chicago and would consider it with a strong scholarship offer. How are job prospects looking for people you know?
Is it hard to get in the clinics and field placement externships?
How are the people in your classes? Is it gunnerish or cutthroat at all?

I just got a 26K scholarship. Could I go further for some stipend or other fiancial aid?

[Nolachicken]

Hey everyone,

Just thought I'd say hi and offer to answer any questions you may have about Loyola, Chicago, the application process in general, and so on. I'm a 3L at Loyola right now and remember how exhausting this process was, so if there's anything I can do to make it easier, I'm happy to try.

Best,
Nick

Thank you again for offering to answer questions. Have you heard anything about the new hybrid program?

[amdg16]

Not the OP but i'm a 3L willing to pick up the slack instead of reading. happy to answer more questions as decision time rolls around.

would consider it with a strong scholarship offer. How are job prospects looking for people you know?

Fair to middling. I recently scored an associate position at a small firm in a niche area I want to practice in. I know of a few IP folks who have biglaw jobs, and others who have clerked at small/midlaw offices where they've gotten/expect offers. Being in the city means you can spend 365 days job hunting.

Is it hard to get in the clinics and field placement externships?

Easy and easy. I haven't tired to get into a clinic but don't know anyone who's been rejected.
There's a strong contingent of folks who extern with county and federal judges during the semester; but I couldn't compare that as better or worse than, say, Kent.
There are a lot of places to extern in the city and the office seems to do a fair job of helping find one if you're interested and don't get one for yourself.

How are the people in your classes? Is it gunnerish or cutthroat at all?

I didn't find it that way.

Do you regret going to Loyola Chicago?

In all honesty, as a 3L I'm way beyond regretting going here. I knew what I was getting in to. There were feelings of regret occasionally at a summer gig when the UChi/NU kids yammer on about OCI. At interviews, I sometimes wish I didn't have to overcompensate for LUC on the resume. But, I have made sure to get as much good experience as possible while keeping my grades high, and it's paid off for me. It's hard being in an environment where, this semester, a substantial amount of classmates don't know what they're doing after graduation.
But regret -- if you're gonna go here, stop regretting the decision and go hard.

What are employment options for your friends/yourself? Do they find jobs through mass mailings or OCI?

There's an OCI-which I noticed this year seemed better than my year. It works out for some folks, but it's definitely not where the vast majority of folks get jobs. I networked my ass off, clerked and interned all over, and basically barged into the professional network where I want to work. VIrtually every job/etc I've gotten has been by recommendation or personal contact.

I just got a 26K scholarship. Could I go further for some stipend or other fiancial aid?

Notoriously stingy. When applying I tried to negotiate and they said I should calculate in the fact we get free printing in the library.
I ended up here in spite of that comment, but I've made sure they regret giving me free printing.

Have you heard anything about the new hybrid program?

Only the PR. It seems weird to me and not something I'd be interested in. I know some of our current/former part-time students, and the ones I know got jobs. The weekend-online thing is just too strange and nontraditional. I mean, this isn't NU trying out a 2year thing. You're already at a disadvantage; go all in if you're in.


I've enjoyed it here, but i made sure loyola would be right for me.

[IWantT6]

Not the OP but i'm a 3L willing to pick up the slack instead of reading. happy to answer more questions as decision time rolls around.

Any insight on how to get in off the waitlist? Is it even worth it? Could you go further into detail on your experience at LUC, how you made it the "right decision" for you, and if you would recommend attending.

[Nachoo2019]

Not the OP but i'm a 3L willing to pick up the slack instead of reading. happy to answer more questions as decision time rolls around.

Any insight on how to get in off the waitlist? Is it even worth it? Could you go further into detail on your experience at LUC, how you made it the "right decision" for you, and if you would recommend attending.

There is simply no way to justify LUC off the waitlist. Coming off the waitlist you will be receiving nothing or close to nothing.


300k for LUC is insanity (unless you have very very wealthy parents).

[InTrodusT]

Thanks for the info
สมัครคาสิโน

[amdg16]

Not the OP but i'm a 3L willing to pick up the slack instead of reading. happy to answer more questions as decision time rolls around.

Any insight on how to get in off the waitlist? Is it even worth it? Could you go further into detail on your experience at LUC, how you made it the "right decision" for you, and if you would recommend attending.

There is simply no way to justify LUC off the waitlist. Coming off the waitlist you will be receiving nothing or close to nothing.

I have to concur. The best way to get off the LUC waitlist - retake and get into NU, UIUC, or get a serious scholarship. I got a good scholarship, earned money 2L summer and during my 3L year, and my debt is still awful.

As far as recommending attending, the answer is like a lot of law school answers - fact specific. I would never recommend law school, let alone Loyola, to someone coming straight from undergrad, uncertain they wanted to be a lawyer, or unclear about what realistic options coming out of school look like.

Making a regional school work involves a lot of things, but here are some things I did:

• -knew what I wanted going into law school: had life experience and work experience, knew i wanted Chicago, knew the general type of work i wanted to do, and spent law school targeting it.
  -knew what i could get coming out of Loyola: i had no expectation or desire for biglaw and knew what kinds of positions to look for in the city. i was never disillusioned in the job hunt because i had no illusions to begin with. i was shocked sometimes at some of my classmates expectations.
  -spent 1L networking and learning outside of school: i did a lot of school work, but also volunteered and went to professional events. by 2L i knew layout of the field I wanted to work in, both conceptually and who the players were in the city.
  -spent 2L & 3L working, too: that's why you're at a T2 in Chicago and not downstate, because the opportunities abound for school-year work. it's how you get ahead. i have a pretty strong resume ("strong" for a T2 applicant) thanks to always staying busy.
  -applied for jobs everywhere: even though i knew what i wanted to do and targeted it, i still applied to every job opening that came along.
  -knew my academic abilities very well: i knew how much i'd be able to focus on school and was mature enough to stick to it. i also had strong support at home. i was certain that three more years of school was something I could do.
  -real life: i always went out multiple times a week and never let school burn me out.

the problem at a T2 is no one else's roadmap for success can guarantee you anything; just show up at NU or Chicago and you're relatively set. We have to hustle.

[IWantT6]

Not the OP but i'm a 3L willing to pick up the slack instead of reading. happy to answer more questions as decision time rolls around.

Any insight on how to get in off the waitlist? Is it even worth it? Could you go further into detail on your experience at LUC, how you made it the "right decision" for you, and if you would recommend attending.

There is simply no way to justify LUC off the waitlist. Coming off the waitlist you will be receiving nothing or close to nothing.

I have to concur. The best way to get off the LUC waitlist - retake and get into NU, UIUC, or get a serious scholarship. I got a good scholarship, earned money 2L summer and during my 3L year, and my debt is still awful.

As far as recommending attending, the answer is like a lot of law school answers - fact specific. I would never recommend law school, let alone Loyola, to someone coming straight from undergrad, uncertain they wanted to be a lawyer, or unclear about what realistic options coming out of school look like.

Making a regional school work involves a lot of things, but here are some things I did:

• -knew what I wanted going into law school: had life experience and work experience, knew i wanted Chicago, knew the general type of work i wanted to do, and spent law school targeting it.
  -knew what i could get coming out of Loyola: i had no expectation or desire for biglaw and knew what kinds of positions to look for in the city. i was never disillusioned in the job hunt because i had no illusions to begin with. i was shocked sometimes at some of my classmates expectations.
  -spent 1L networking and learning outside of school: i did a lot of school work, but also volunteered and went to professional events. by 2L i knew layout of the field I wanted to work in, both conceptually and who the players were in the city.
  -spent 2L & 3L working, too: that's why you're at a T2 in Chicago and not downstate, because the opportunities abound for school-year work. it's how you get ahead. i have a pretty strong resume ("strong" for a T2 applicant) thanks to always staying busy.
  -applied for jobs everywhere: even though i knew what i wanted to do and targeted it, i still applied to every job opening that came along.
  -knew my academic abilities very well: i knew how much i'd be able to focus on school and was mature enough to stick to it. i also had strong support at home. i was certain that three more years of school was something I could do.
  -real life: i always went out multiple times a week and never let school burn me out.

the problem at a T2 is no one else's roadmap for success can guarantee you anything; just show up at NU or Chicago and you're relatively set. We have to hustle.

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. There's a lot of people on here, including me, who don't know what they're doing or are misinformed or just don't have access to all the facts, but don't ask questions because some people on here are rude and condescending. Thanks for trying to help out. So is BigLaw completely off the table at Loyola? Is it at all attainable?

[guynourmin]

There's a lot of people on here, including me, who don't know what they're doing or are misinformed or just don't have access to all the facts, but don't ask questions because some people on here are rude and condescending.

If people are rude, it's only because of the help me help me I don't know what I'm doing victim you're playing here. It is patently false to say you 'just don't have access to all the facts [that the rude people on TLS have access to]'. The ABA makes everything very accessible (Google aba required employment data; aba 509 reports) and we all are working off the same info. Law school transparency is helpful too if you don't want to or can't handle the raw numbers.

These forums are incredibly helpful as long as you help yourself first. Everyone is here to give you that last 10% of info you need. No one is here to help you take your first steps - google, just read these forums, talk to your college counselor, DM someone and ask for help/a quick Skype call. I'll talk to you for 10 min if you give me your number!


Anyway, that sentence irked me.

As for your questions - no, biglaw is not completely out of the question from Loyola (look at those employment summaries! Over 10% pretty consistently). Biglaw just isn't something you can rely on from Loyola. You have to know that you probably won't get biglaw. You have to know what their grads are actually doing (and be happy abut those kinds of outcomes). You have to know that your grades are important, but so is getting out there and seriously networking. You have to know you probably won't find work outside of Chicago unless you make serious connections.
Loyola isn't necessarily a bad decision. It is a bad decision if you're paying 100k for it and expect big law. It is a bad decision if you're going to have the same attitude about not having access to information!

[IWantT6]

There's a lot of people on here, including me, who don't know what they're doing or are misinformed or just don't have access to all the facts, but don't ask questions because some people on here are rude and condescending.

If people are rude, it's only because of the help me help me I don't know what I'm doing victim you're playing here. It is patently false to say you 'just don't have access to all the facts [that the rude people on TLS have access to]'. The ABA makes everything very accessible (Google aba required employment data; aba 509 reports) and we all are working off the same info. Law school transparency is helpful too if you don't want to or can't handle the raw numbers.

These forums are incredibly helpful as long as you help yourself first. Everyone is here to give you that last 10% of info you need. No one is here to help you take your first steps - google, just read these forums, talk to your college counselor, DM someone and ask for help/a quick Skype call. I'll talk to you for 10 min if you give me your number!


Anyway, that sentence irked me.

As for your questions - no, biglaw is not completely out of the question from Loyola (look at those employment summaries! Over 10% pretty consistently). Biglaw just isn't something you can rely on from Loyola. You have to know that you probably won't get biglaw. You have to know what their grads are actually doing (and be happy abut those kinds of outcomes). You have to know that your grades are important, but so is getting out there and seriously networking. You have to know you probably won't find work outside of Chicago unless you make serious connections.
Loyola isn't necessarily a bad decision. It is a bad decision if you're paying 100k for it and expect big law. It is a bad decision if you're going to have the same attitude about not having access to information!

Not trying to play the victim card at all so sorry if it comes off that way. I have read all the info on here and Google, as well as talked to some people. I asked that question because I wanted an answer from someone who actually went to the school, who actually experienced it first hand. I'm not looking for someone to hold my hand and do all the work for me. I have and can do that myself. I was just looking for specifics from current students at a specific school, that's all.