Is Iowa a national or regional school?

[SamE397]

According to ABA data only a third of the 2007 graduating class stayed in Iowa but FWIW Iowa was the biggest placement market and there was 7% unemployment. I wouldn't say it's crazy to go Iowa and aim to land to a job in Chicago but if you're primarily interested in big markets outside of Iowa it's hard for me to see what Iowa would offer that would make it better than a school that's closer to or in one of those markets like Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or IU Bloomington. 

FWIW, Minneapolis / St. Paul and Bloomington are all further from Chicago than Iowa City.

Iowa is highly regarded in the Chicago market.

The Bloomington comparison was a mistake and I was thinking of Minneapolis/St. Paul as also being a larger market in the context of my statements. Granted it's not Chicago but it's not Des Moines either.

I'm sure Iowa's a solid school but if your target is to be in  a big firm it's hard for me to see what it offers that would make it better than most other similarly ranked schools. IMO the major benefit from a career prospective of going to Iowa would be that it would give you better positioning in Iowa. On the other side there are of course other issues that are not strictly speaking career related such as debt that should factor into where one chooses to go to school.

I guess what I felt like I was hearing from the original poster and the question being asked was basically that he liked university of Iowa but didn't want to stay in Iowa after graduation. If that's the case money aside I say why not just go somewhere else where you would be more happy staying after graduation? 

I'm sure it's possible to go to Iowa and land a job outside of Iowa but that shouldn't be the question the question should be how does one school stack up versus another in terms of helping someone achieve goals. 

Well, the main reason I am interested in Iowa was because it is ranked the highest by far out of the 3  schools I applied to (SMU and Houston are the other). I also get instate tuition for Iowa.

From the searches I've done on this board it seems like tey do have some alumni that go to places like Phoenix, Miami, and Las Vegas- all 3 places I wouldn't mind practiing. However, if these placements require being near the top of the class, I would probably go to a Texas school instead. I would be satisfied if I finished in he middle of the class and practiced in a midsized firm in Texas. I would not be satisfied if I graduated in the middle of the class at Iowa and had to stay in the midwest. So my main question I guess was whether or not the middle of Iowa's class had mobility outside the midwest.

Yeah that is a tuff decision. Personally I would lean towards SMU because it seems to be the safer option but the difference in tuition is pretty large and Iowa may open more opprotunities if you're near the top of your class.





FWIW this site tracks where alums end up it shows Iowa no surprise as having the biggest university of Iowa alumni network but it also shows California as a surprisingly strong second and a spattering of Iowa grads in most major markets. I'm not sure where the data comes from but I'm pretty sure it's incomplete.

 http://www.avvo.com/stats/school_detail/university-of-iowa-college-of-law-625

[Bosox]

Outside of the T14, there are probably only three "national" schools, and even these are more regional:

GW
ND
BC

[Contract2008]

Outside of the T14, there are probably only three "national" schools, and even these are more regional:

GW
ND
BC

You've included GW and BC, but not Vandy and UCLA? 

[iahurricane]

I'm an Iowa Law alum.  Some of my law school friends practice in Iowa - Des Moines, Quad-Cities, etc.  Some went to Phoenix, some to Minneapolis, some to Austin, some to DC, some to NYC, one was an assistant DA in Boston, and I'm in-house corporate counsel at a Fortune 500 company in Silicon Valley. 

While many stay in the midwest, some of us do escape.  (I'm actually fond of the midwest.)

The alumni notes give a sense of where some Iowa alum are now:  http://www.law.uiowa.edu/advocate/ISSUES/volume-47/summer-08/pdfs/alumni-news.pdf

Do you know how your friends working outside of the midwest placed in their class?

[clark]

According to ABA data only a third of the 2007 graduating class stayed in Iowa but FWIW Iowa was the biggest placement market and there was 7% unemployment. I wouldn't say it's crazy to go Iowa and aim to land to a job in Chicago but if you're primarily interested in big markets outside of Iowa it's hard for me to see what Iowa would offer that would make it better than a school that's closer to or in one of those markets like Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or IU Bloomington. 

FWIW, Minneapolis / St. Paul and Bloomington are all further from Chicago than Iowa City.

Iowa is highly regarded in the Chicago market.

The Bloomington comparison was a mistake and I was thinking of Minneapolis/St. Paul as also being a larger market in the context of my statements. Granted it's not Chicago but it's not Des Moines either.

I'm sure Iowa's a solid school but if your target is to be in  a big firm it's hard for me to see what it offers that would make it better than most other similarly ranked schools. IMO the major benefit from a career prospective of going to Iowa would be that it would give you better positioning in Iowa. On the other side there are of course other issues that are not strictly speaking career related such as debt that should factor into where one chooses to go to school.

I guess what I felt like I was hearing from the original poster and the question being asked was basically that he liked university of Iowa but didn't want to stay in Iowa after graduation. If that's the case money aside I say why not just go somewhere else where you would be more happy staying after graduation? 

I'm sure it's possible to go to Iowa and land a job outside of Iowa but that shouldn't be the question the question should be how does one school stack up versus another in terms of helping someone achieve goals. 

***disclaimer*** I'm an Iowan, chose not to go to UI, and am a 1L at an east coast school.

Graduating in the middle of the class at Iowa will NOT get you into Biglaw (NLJ 250).  In fact, even graduating at the top of the class and being on the law review is no guarantee of Biglaw at UI.  Iowa places extremely well in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport.  Honestly, Drake places better in DSM.  However, with a little networking you'll be able to get to Minneapolis, Chicago, or KC without too much problem.

So...if you really want to get Biglaw, consider this.  [My advice depends entirely on where your GPA/LSAT lie, b/c Iowa is much, much easier to get into than other schools nearby in the rankings.]

- If you have 164-165 on the LSAT you'll probably have the option of a BU/BC/GW type school.  In a good economy [**cough cough**] they WILL get you Biglaw.  However, you're probably going to have to borrow $180K, or have a trust fund.  You aren't going to get a scholarship.  Keep in mind that Biglaw for 95% of people lasts for 5-6 years.  It's needed to pay off the loans, but most don't make partner and are "managed out."

- If you don't have the LSAT to get a a scholarship... VERY IMPORTANT....The odds of you making Biglaw from Iowa DO NOT justify borrowing the full price of tuition and costs.  Avoid doing this for your own good.  Most Iowa grads make less than half of the $160K NY Biglaw starting salary.  You're better off taking a scholarship from Drake.

- If you don't think you have the stomach for Biglaw and are in-state (or have a scholarship), go to Iowa.  It's an excellent education, and there is little risk w/in-state tuition.  Most lawyers make less than $100K.  DO NOT borrow $150K if you aren't a good candidate for Biglaw.

[Ninja1]

Not sure if anyone has bothered to point this out yet, but perhaps Iowa's good national reach is due in part to their high ranking that causes people to go there and then bail back home (or wherever) when they realize they don't want to live in Iowa until they die.

[iahurricane]

Thanks guys, I've already chosen SMU over Iowa during the April 1st deposit.

[LawDog3]

Not sure if anyone has bothered to point this out yet, but perhaps Iowa's good national reach is due in part to their high ranking that causes people to go there and then bail back home (or wherever) when they realize they don't want to live in Iowa until they die.

 +1 That happens at other schools, too.

[Ninja1]

Not sure if anyone has bothered to point this out yet, but perhaps Iowa's good national reach is due in part to their high ranking that causes people to go there and then bail back home (or wherever) when they realize they don't want to live in Iowa until they die.

 +1 That happens at other schools, too.

Right, but I feel like Iowa's relatively high ranking, low admissions requirements given their ranking, and the nature of the state of Iowa sort of form a perfect storm to attract a ton of people from all over the country that then spend 3 years in Iowa and realize why it is that Iowa doesn't attract more people with higher numbers, causing them to flee pretty much anywhere else that doesn't have "Dakota", "Iowa", or "Wyoming" in its name.

[Ninja1]

Dude, screw you.  You're a good poster, but Iowa is a great f-ing state and I love it.  Some of the best times of my life were spent in Cedar Rapids, knocking down brew-skis with local yahoos from the Quaker Oats factory.

I like Iowa as well. But I also like The South, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming, and I hate most of the Northeast and California. I don't pretend that most people share my outlook on things.