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I'm looking for work in the Chicago market. Which matters more for placement in opportunities like clerkships, fellowships and public interest postions - being in the Chicago area for networking? Or school prestige?

I am trying to weigh Columbia and Northwestern against one another.

I'd go to northwestern if I were you.

Columbia, unless Northwestern offers you more money. Just because CLS ain't in Chicago doesn't mean Chicago firms won't come to OCI at CLS or won't go as deep in the class.

Also, a huge factor that. while not easily quantifiable, is seldom taken into consideration on these boards w/r/t NU's placement is that a lot of NU grads have excellent work experience, e.g. investment banking or other high finance or high tech industry jobs.

Without knowing your scholarship offers and work experience, can't give you a more precise answer. Average work experience or no work experience and equal cost, CLS any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Do you have ties to Chicago?

If so, CLS is the clear choice. You should be able to get back to Chicago.

If not, go to CLS anyway, and gun for NYC. Chicago is a very hard market to break into, and being employed in NYC >>> being unemployed in Chicago, and your chances of NYC biglaw from Columbia are much higher than chances of Chicago biglaw from NU.

If you're set on Chicago, try to lateral there after a few years of practice.

badaboom61 wrote:Do you have ties to Chicago?

If so, CLS is the clear choice. You should be able to get back to Chicago.

If not, go to CLS anyway, and gun for NYC. Chicago is a very hard market to break into, and being employed in NYC >>> being unemployed in Chicago, and your chances of NYC biglaw from Columbia are much higher than chances of Chicago biglaw from NU.

If you're set on Chicago, try to lateral there after a few years of practice.

This is correct.

If you have money at Northwestern, though, that changes things.