Notre Dame v UIUC Forum

[Illini372]

I had a similar topic about practicing in the Chicago area. I know UIUC has actually ascended in the rankings in recent years (which, as always I'll take with a grain of salt), which is encouraging. It also seems to have better Chicago employment prospects, especially for IP (I'm a bio major) Anyone want to weigh in about UND, I don't know as much about it as I'd like to at this point.

[traehekat]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... Notre+Dame

Notre Dame is going to give you a bit more portability, Illinois is going to give you slightly better job prospects in Chicago.

[UFMatt]

You'll get some elitist naysayers trashing non-T14s if you mention portability, but for IP work I don't believe that standard applies. UIUC's IP coursework seems superior, as is their Chicago placement (although ND grads may simply be choosing NOT to go to Chicago). Overall prestige is greater at ND, their national placement is superior, and the campus is nicer. Visit both to decide for yourself.

[chadwick218]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... Notre+Dame

Notre Dame is going to give you a bit more portability, Illinois is going to give you slightly better job prospects in Chicago.

Agreed, talking with a few 2L friends at both schools, I think that UIUC may have placed notably better in Chicago this year than ND ... I received the impression that self-selection may have had a lot do with this though (i.e. those in the top 10% and on LR at ND were simply looking outside of Chicago).

[Illini372]

You'll get some elitist naysayers trashing non-T14s if you mention portability, but for IP work I don't believe that standard applies. UIUC's IP coursework seems superior, as is their Chicago placement (although ND grads may simply be choosing NOT to go to Chicago). Overall prestige is greater at ND, their national placement is superior, and the campus is nicer. Visit both to decide for yourself.

I haven't been to UND in awhile, I know they expanded their facilities beginning in 2007, so I'm planning on making a return trip this Spring. I go to UIUC now, and I do like the campus down here, I just find it strange that South Bend is a half hour closer than Champaign and reps the UND brand name yet it seems like the consensus is that it isn't the "Chicago" school

[JCougar]

You'll get some elitist naysayers trashing non-T14s if you mention portability, but for IP work I don't believe that standard applies. UIUC's IP coursework seems superior, as is their Chicago placement (although ND grads may simply be choosing NOT to go to Chicago). Overall prestige is greater at ND, their national placement is superior, and the campus is nicer. Visit both to decide for yourself.

I haven't been to UND in awhile, I know they expanded their facilities beginning in 2007, so I'm planning on making a return trip this Spring. I go to UIUC now, and I do like the campus down here, I just find it strange that South Bend is a half hour closer than Champaign and reps the UND brand name yet it seems like the consensus is that it isn't the "Chicago" school

Notre Dame is a niche school that attracts conservative Catholics from around the nation, and because it attracts people from around the nation, its graduates as a whole tend to look for work around the nation; thus, it has a more national alumni netowrk. Illinois probably attracts more people from Illinois because you get an in-state discount right off the bat (although slight) and because most people who do go to law school are much more likely to go somewhere close to home.

I would hesitate to go to ND unless you are Catholic and kind of conservative. My best friend went there for undergrad and I visited a couple times. While it was fun for a visit, I don't think I would have made it there for an entire year, much less three. Although I'm a Catholic, I'm much more liberal than the ND student body and found the place overall to be rather repressive.

[notme]

Just to clarify. I understand that the undergrad at ND is largely Catholic, but I know for a fact that the law school isn't the least bit Catholic. More conservative than most law schools perhaps, but overall it probably has more liberal students than conservative. I almost went there, got to know a lot of the students.

[Illini372]

notme, where did you end up at just out of curiosity?