Top Law Schools

This topic has been discussed previously on TLS, but I wanted to see what the latest wisdom is on Chicago-Kent v. Loyola Chicago? Visiting both schools in the next few weeks. Looking to stay into Chicago and practice after law school. Roughly equal (2K difference), very generous scholarship offers from both schools.

They're essentially the same school as evident by https://www.lstreports.com/compare/kent/loyola-chicago/

Both give you about a 50% chance of becoming an attorney. Go to which one you like the feel/fit of better or cheaper.

What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

I think consensus is they are clearly the best TT(T)s in the city, but there isn't much separating them. I think any cost difference justifies one over the other.

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

guybourdin wrote:I think consensus is they are clearly the best TT(T)s in the city, but there isn't much separating them. I think any cost difference justifies one over the other.

Yeah, this is what I'm running into. Essentially everything I'm reading says they are the same - apparently Loyola's alumni network is stronger while Kent's legal writing programs are supposedly better. Basically, the differences between these schools seem very difficult to quantify.

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Well, immigration law would likely be easier to get (since jobs in that field largely depend on your commitment, not your school pedigree), but you have to decide how much you trust PSLF to still be in place for debt forgiveness if you go that route. You won't be making a very large salary from either school, and even if you end up in the private sector with health law, it likely won't be at a large firm or in-house with a major company.

Which is to say that neither of these schools are particularly good options for anyone, but as long as you have a debt repayment plan that's realistically based around your salary, neither one is better than the other.

dervy wrote:

guybourdin wrote:I think consensus is they are clearly the best TT(T)s in the city, but there isn't much separating them. I think any cost difference justifies one over the other.

Yeah, this is what I'm running into. Essentially everything I'm reading says they are the same - apparently Loyola's alumni network is stronger while Kent's legal writing programs are supposedly better. Basically, the differences between these schools seem very difficult to quantify.

Price difference is simple to quantify, though! Visit both schools, and if you don't feel like you HAVE to be at one over the other, then if one is even a few thousand cheaper, go there, right?

guybourdin wrote:
Price difference is simple to quantify, though! Visit both schools, and if you don't feel like you HAVE to be at one over the other, then if one is even a few thousand cheaper, go there, right?

Fair enough. I guess I'm trying to figure out how much sway a relatively small price difference ($2.5-5K) should really have.

dervy wrote:

guybourdin wrote: Price difference is simple to quantify, though! Visit both schools, and if you don't feel like you HAVE to be at one over the other, then if one is even a few thousand cheaper, go there, right?

Fair enough. I guess I'm trying to figure out how much sway a relatively small price difference ($2.5-5K) should really have.

Negotiate. Both schools know they're each other's main competitor.

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Your dedication to your craft is admirable.

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Dude stop.

Rigo wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Dude stop.

Oh, I'm sorry. Your "negotiation " advice for OP is actually way more useful.

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Just a quick question: what would you consider to be a "not great" medical school? Because Loyla's Medical School is unranked.

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Just a quick question: what would you consider to be a "not great" medical school? Because Loyla's Medical School is unranked.

How about its doctors actually helped my family?

chicagoburger wrote:

Rigo wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Dude stop.

Oh, I'm sorry. Your "negotiation " advice for OP is actually way more useful.

But....it actually is lol

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

Rigo wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Dude stop.

Oh, I'm sorry. Your "negotiation " advice for OP is actually way more useful.

But....it actually is lol

That's not even remotely close to answering what OP asked for.

chicagoburger wrote:

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Just a quick question: what would you consider to be a "not great" medical school? Because Loyla's Medical School is unranked.

How about its doctors actually helped my family?

Jeez, your logic is amazing for someone who wants to be a lawyer.

My sister had an emergency appendix removal at a remote village hospital in Guatamala. I hope they open a law school next door so I can take advantage of its tremendous medical law program.

This is also just the third awful post I've seen from chicagoburger this afternoon so it's more of a body of work thing.

chicagoburger wrote:

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

Rigo wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Dude stop.

Oh, I'm sorry. Your "negotiation " advice for OP is actually way more useful.

But....it actually is lol

That's not even remotely close to answering what OP asked for.

Hey so can you help me with a decision?

I'm choosing between cutting my left arm off, and my right leg off. However, it's quite the pickle because I use my left arm to catch baseballs and my right leg to play soccer. Any input?

Why is "none of them" not valid advice? People are just saying that there's a third option aka NONE that OPs generally do not take into consideration.

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Just a quick question: what would you consider to be a "not great" medical school? Because Loyla's Medical School is unranked.

How about its doctors actually helped my family?

Jeez, your logic is amazing for someone who wants to be a lawyer.

My sister had an emergency appendix removal at a remote village hospital in Guatamala. I hope they open a law school next door so I can take advantage of its tremendous medical law program.

Any medical school whose hospital helped my family is a great medical school.

chicagoburger wrote:

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote:

chicagoburger wrote:

dervy wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:What is your actual total COA? What kind of law do you want to practice in Chicago?

Actual total COA will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25K/yr ($75K total). I'm not sure yet - leaning towards immigration law, but very interested in health law as well (parents are immigrants in medicine, go figure).

Loyola has a great medical school and one of the best health law programs according to USNews, that fits your interest.
Kent specializes in IP law, and it's part of a technology institute. So if you are into tech, that's your choice.

Overall, I think you are better off at Loyola. It's also located in a much better area that is more suitable for someone is not local.

Just a quick question: what would you consider to be a "not great" medical school? Because Loyla's Medical School is unranked.

How about its doctors actually helped my family?

Jeez, your logic is amazing for someone who wants to be a lawyer.

My sister had an emergency appendix removal at a remote village hospital in Guatamala. I hope they open a law school next door so I can take advantage of its tremendous medical law program.

Any medical school whose hospital helped my family is a great medical school.

Ok, and that's wonderful. However, how does that in any way relate to this topic here...

So if your lawyer went to HLS and didn't win a case for you, you would advise people against going to Harvard?

Thomas Hagan, ESQ. wrote: Hey so can you help me with a decision?

I'm choosing between cutting my left arm off, and my right leg off. However, it's quite the pickle because I use my left arm to catch baseballs and my right leg to play soccer. Any input?

Why is "none of them" not valid advice? People are just saying that there's a third option aka NONE that OPs generally do not take into consideration.

"None of them" is certainly a valid view answering OP's question on the current view on those two schools.
"Negotiate" is not a valid answer to that question.

I go to Loyola you can PM if you want.