Top Law Schools

I would appreciate some input. I was recently accepted to Northwestern, and I'm very excited. I grew up in the Chicago area, and I've always thought of Northwestern as a dream school. I love living in cities, and Chicago is one of my faves.

That said, I've already put down a deposit at UVA and signed a lease in Charlottesville. UVA is offering me some money, so it's 20K less expensive per year than Northwestern. Charlottesville is lovely, and I really connected with both students and profs at the ASW.

I think I want to do government or public interest work, and I like UVA's (relative) proximity to DC. I also know that Northwestern has the famed Bluhm Legal Clinic.

I am truly torn. Right now, I'm leaning toward UVA because I've already put down a deposit, but I also feel like that's chump change in the grand scheme of life and law school debt. Thoughts?

UVA is a better school than NU. It is also 20k/year cheaper, which is a lot of money. Finally, UVA places very well in DC and with government.

Unless your love of Chicago is strong enough to pay 20k/year extra for slightly worse job prospects... UVA easily.

20K/cheaper!?!?!


If you really want NU send them that and see what they will do. But the schools are pretty much equal and that's a big money difference.

Cannot agree with whoever said UVA is a better school than NU... just not true. However, I would consider them roughly equals, but different (NU has more lay prestige, but you shouldn't care about that at all).

The job prospects will be roughly similar out of each except NU will place better in Chicago, and UVA better in the DC area. In the end, as with a number of my answers on TLS, I think a decision between two such schools comes down to preference.

However, I would probably go with UVA (mainly because of the money), unless there were a pressing reason for why I (1) really liked NU more or (2) just didn't care for UVA.

As you rightly point out, 20K is chump change in the grand scheme (if you truly have a preference). UVA *might* have an edge for government work... not sure. Perhaps someone who knows more about it can voice an opinion.

Do you love Chicago enough to want to live there and make your career there after law school? If you do, the amount of money UVA offered is a really small amount compared to what you will be repaying throughout your career.

What sort of school environment do you like? These schools are different enough that your decision should be easy if you factor in things like culture, town/city, class size, maturity of your peers, and degree of theory/practicality in the curriculum. I'd make this decision based on these factors.