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I eventually want to practice in California in a tech/IP-related position. But I realize it will not happen immediately with either school (that is, I will need to work in another market before being able to land a good job in CA). Looking solely at career prospects right out of law school, which is better - UIUC ($$ but I am out of state) or Fordham (sticker)?
I've spoken to a few attorneys who have said rankings are everything - does that mean UIUC > Fordham?
Also, I don't care where (geographically) I'd be for the next 5-7 years.

I think that as far as employment is concerned, they're both hurting pretty bad lately. That means you should hedge your bets and go with UIUC.

Also, the Chicago market wasn't hit as hard as NYC. I don't really see a reason to pick Fordham in this case unless you have serious ties to NYC.

*EDIT* I am an 0L

Cognoscenti wrote:I eventually want to practice in California in a tech/IP-related position. But I realize it will not happen immediately with either school (that is, I will need to work in another market before being able to land a good job in CA). Looking solely at career prospects right out of law school, which is better - UIUC ($$ but I am out of state) or Fordham (sticker)?
I've spoken to a few attorneys who have said rankings are everything - does that mean UIUC > Fordham?
Also, I don't care where (geographically) I'd be for the next 5-7 years.

Do you have a engineering background, and can you do patent law?

Desert Fox wrote:

Cognoscenti wrote:I eventually want to practice in California in a tech/IP-related position. But I realize it will not happen immediately with either school (that is, I will need to work in another market before being able to land a good job in CA). Looking solely at career prospects right out of law school, which is better - UIUC ($$ but I am out of state) or Fordham (sticker)?
I've spoken to a few attorneys who have said rankings are everything - does that mean UIUC > Fordham?
Also, I don't care where (geographically) I'd be for the next 5-7 years.

Do you have a engineering background, and can you do patent law?

Not an engineering background but a "hard science". UIUC also gave me the option to get my MS concurrently with the JD. I'm pretty sure I have a good enough
technical background for patents. Does this make one school better than the other?

Cognoscenti wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

Cognoscenti wrote:I eventually want to practice in California in a tech/IP-related position. But I realize it will not happen immediately with either school (that is, I will need to work in another market before being able to land a good job in CA). Looking solely at career prospects right out of law school, which is better - UIUC ($$ but I am out of state) or Fordham (sticker)?
I've spoken to a few attorneys who have said rankings are everything - does that mean UIUC > Fordham?
Also, I don't care where (geographically) I'd be for the next 5-7 years.

Do you have a engineering background, and can you do patent law?

Not an engineering background but a "hard science". UIUC also gave me the option to get my MS concurrently with the JD. I'm pretty sure I have a good enough
technical background for patents. Does this make one school better than the other?

No, but it means getting a job in california is a lot easier for you than someone without patent background. So you might not be stuck in Chicago or NYC at all.

I'd take UIUC for the money, and the MS.

Which science? UIUC physics is pretty good.

bump.