UIUC v. Notre Dame

[Irish1289]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but I haven't seen it. In terms of Chicago employment, which one do you think is better? I'm an Illinois resident, so UIUC will obviously be cheaper...

[spud1987]

Well in terms of Chicago I believe that both place quite well and you would be fine with either.  I think they both have similar atmospheres as far as the two cities go.  If I was in-state I would choose Illinois, otherwise I would go to ND.  Visit both, and I think it all comes down to which one you like best.

[mgd04]

No question, for Chicago go to Illinois. ND probably places better outside of IL than Illinois but because of the tuition difference it's really a no brainer.

[MaroonOut2005]

No question, for Chicago go to Illinois. ND probably places better outside of IL than Illinois but because of the tuition difference it's really a no brainer.

This is really bad advice.  Notre Dame has made a killing lately in the big Chicago firms, third only to the University of Chicago and Northwestern.  For example, Kirkland has extended offers to five Notre Dame students this year.

[cfreder]

No question, for Chicago go to Illinois. ND probably places better outside of IL than Illinois but because of the tuition difference it's really a no brainer.

This is really bad advice.  Notre Dame has made a killing lately in the big Chicago firms, third only to the University of Chicago and Northwestern.  For example, Kirkland has extended offers to five Notre Dame students this year.

Where did you find this information?  Just curious...

Also, what advice would anyone give if Illinois and ND were going to cost the same amount, regardless of residency?

[MaroonOut2005]

http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/

That is a rough list of Vault 20 firms.  Notre Dame has more total offers than UIUC (15 v. 13) even though Notre Dame has a much smaller class size (if I'm not mistaken, approx. 180 v. 260). 

Between UIUC and ND, I would go to ND without a second thought, even if there was a discrepency in merit money.  ND places just as well as UIUC does in Chicago and places much better elsewhere.

No question, for Chicago go to Illinois. ND probably places better outside of IL than Illinois but because of the tuition difference it's really a no brainer.

This is really bad advice.  Notre Dame has made a killing lately in the big Chicago firms, third only to the University of Chicago and Northwestern.  For example, Kirkland has extended offers to five Notre Dame students this year.

Where did you find this information?  Just curious...

Also, what advice would anyone give if Illinois and ND were going to cost the same amount, regardless of residency?

[tinkerschance]

I think that is a bit misleading.  One, that is a list of only the 20 largest law firms, not really a representative list.  Two, Illinois class size is 200.  Three, a third of UIUC students go outside of Illinois for their first jobs. 

Chicago is a huge legal market and obviously the first choice for a lot of people at UIUC.  Those that want to go to other markets can and do.

If the cost is the same I would say visit both schools and see what seems a better fit.  I can't see paying significantly more for either of them.

Forgot something else.  That list is in no way complete or verified.

[MaroonOut2005]

Yes, this list is certainly not complete, but it's a good indicator. 

According to LSAC, UIUC has between 230-240.  While I was off in my initial assesment, that is a difference of at least 50 people per class.  That's a very significant difference.

Yes, a third of UIUC students go outside of Illinois for their first jobs, but 2/3 of Notre Dame students go outside of Illinois for their first job and yet ND still seem to place just as many students in the top Chicago law firms as UIUC. 

But yes, the original poster should visit both.  Notre Dame is definitely not for everyone.  I'm just responding to a poster's assessment that UIUC places much better in Chicago than ND. 

I think that is a bit misleading.  One, that is a list of only the 20 largest law firms, not really a representative list.  Two, Illinois class size is 200.  Three, a third of UIUC students go outside of Illinois for their first jobs. 

Chicago is a huge legal market and obviously the first choice for a lot of people at UIUC.  Those that want to go to other markets can and do.

If the cost is the same I would say visit both schools and see what seems a better fit.  I can't see paying significantly more for either of them.

Forgot something else.  That list is in no way complete or verified.

[mgd04]

Really, you shouldn't define a school by biglaw jobs. They make up such a small segment of the legal market and really aren't hte best jobs (including pay). And if you choose ND ove Illinois you'll probably have to do biglaw because of the extra debt.

[ChlorasepticRelief]

Yeah, this comes down to personal preference... a lower-cost state school versus higher-cost religious, private school. Both have great reps, and you can't go wrong with either school if Chicago is where you want to work. Best of luck....