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The University of Illinois College of Law

Special thanks to Paul Pless, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Illinois Law, and to TLS students for providing insight and additional details for this profile.

University of Illinois College of Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the Midwest and one of the best public law schools in the country. It is smack in the center of a small college town called Urbana-Champaign (also referred to as Chambana or simply Champaign), hemmed in by miles of Illinois corn. In this relatively quiet setting, UIUC has built up a strong reputation for itself, earning a great measure of respect among members of the legal community. Accordingly, Chicago firms, only a few hours away, look to the law school each year to hire top-quality graduates.

Because of these ties, and in part because of the school’s concerted efforts to draw the nation’s best students, UIUC has continuously improved its reputation over the years. The U.S. News and World Report ranking for 2010 moved the law school up five spots to 23^rd, where it is now tied with two Indiana schools: Notre Dame and Indiana U-Bloomington.

If you are looking to apply to a top law school in the T25, there is no reason not to throw your name into UIUC’s pool of competitive applicants. Dean Paul Pless, an active member of the TLS community, announced on the school’s website that everyone applying for a spot in the Class of 2013 will have their application fee waived.

There are many reasons to seriously consider what may seem to be a law school in the middle of nowhere. As a public university, it offers lower tuition rates to those who become residents of Illinois. The small town has a low cost of living and small class sizes help students build close, lasting friendships with each other. Job prospects in Chicago seem to have held up, despite a stormy legal economy, by well-placed alumni.

Choosing a law school can be a tough decision, but for those looking to work in the Chicago market, a school like UIUC makes the decision quite easy. Its rising reputation keeps it performing strong against the two giants in the state, University of Chicago and Northwestern. If you are looking for a quiet, cheap environment well-suited to the study of law, UIUC might just be the place for you.

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Admissions

As with most schools, gaining admission to UIUC is largely a numbers game. If your LSAT score and GPA are at or above the school’s medians (3.8 and 166), you will have a decent shot of getting in. Be mindful that it is largely a numbers game, not entirely a numbers game. Even if you are above these numbers, Dean Paul Pless tells TLS members that those who effectively present themselves as intelligent, energetic, and diverse will greatly improve their chances.

“We denied many, many people with LSATs above 166,” says Pless. “Why? Bad grades, bad record, bad writing, or they were just plain boring.” He stresses that as an admissions officer, he wants to admit a class that can engage in a lively back and forth with professors, both inside and outside of the classroom.

This selectivity means that from over 3,500 applicants who put in their name in 2009, only 29 percent were accepted. In that year, 232 students started at UIUC, representing 32 states and 4 countries. Full tuition aid is granted to about 50 candidates each year, an impressively high number for a top law school. In addition, in 2008, over 70 percent of students received some aid, with the median grant amount at a nice, round $10,000.

Admissions Basics

Dean Pless lays out the admissions process very clearly in the exclusive TLS interview. Following are some excerpts:

All files get reviewed by me or our Assistant Director of Admissions. The split is roughly 80/20.

I read the files in the order in which they are completed, not the order that people applied. Currently our system is we move a batch of files into review on Thursday and I need to have them all read by the next Wednesday.

Denies will usually be posted on Wednesday and Admits/Holds will go out on Thursday. Since I sign all of the letters this helps a little with my hand cramping up. I hope that solves some of the mystery.

Applicants who get their paperwork in by the end of October or even as late as Thanksgiving will have a slight advantage over those who wait, since UIUC has rolling admissions. For students who fall below the school’s medians, applying early becomes more important. In order for these applicants to remain competitive, one number needs to be at the school’s median, according to Pless. He goes on to add:

Certain things can overcome this such as great experience, one in a thousand personal statement (I can't say what that is, it is personal after all), or something that really makes the file standout (leadership, varsity athlete, working full-time during school).

Those who wait until the last minute, even the most attractive of candidates, may find themselves without a shiny new admissions binder:

We receive a third of our total applications by Thanksgiving, and 66% by January 1^st. Applying after that time makes it more difficult, even for some of the "above and beyond" candidates. We only have so much room in the class.

For all candidates, if you balance strong academic performance with a “time-consuming extracurricular activity,” you should feel confident in your application. Also, if you have interesting soft factors like an advanced degree, work experience outside of the field of law, or even a legacy connection to the College of Law, you can improve your chances at admission.

UIUC does not practice yield protection. That is, the law school does not waitlist candidates with above-average numbers simply to “protect” their yield numbers from decreasing (and to prevent their acceptance rate from decreasing). Some schools appear to practice this, as both numbers are important to a school’s USNWR ranking. That said, if you are an above-average candidate, you should apply, relax, and wait for good news.

Diversity

Several factors come into play when UIUC looks at a file. Diversity is considered on a few fronts. “If I have an applicant from a part of the country that we don’t normally have students from,” says Pless, “they can get a bump.” If you want to write a statement about your ethnic background, diversity, socioeconomic status, or another factor considered traditionally diverse, Dean Pless invites you to do so, with one caveat. “Make sure it is concise.”

Sometimes, being cut of a different cloth can work against you. If you are under 21, Pless “really needs something in the file to show maturity” or responsibility, like a leadership activity, excellent and thoughtful writing, or a clear reason for your decision to apply to law school.

Transcripts

A few things in your transcript will raise red flags. For these, Pless asks you to write an explanation in the form of an addendum. If you have any gap years, a downward GPA trend, or “more than two Ws and I,” then you should address this. Also, candidates with a GPA under 3.0 need to show good grade trends, strong writing ability, and a record of leadership to overcome the low GPA.

Some things on a student’s transcript will hardly matter:

Foreign grades from study abroad aren't given much weight, good or bad.

Double majors aren't given a lot of weight.

While some things will matter quite a bit:

Honor Colleges or special tracks are given weight here at Illinois.

We certainly look at an upward trend, but there isn't a formula. In general, I like to see two years where you did really, really well.

The quality of the school and the major within the school are given a lot of consideration. We also look at the school’s curve.

Certain majors and programs are certainly stronger than others. Criminology and pre-law are not some of the stronger majors.

Like most other law schools, Illinois takes into account the difficulty of a major while looking at a student’s GPA. “If someone has a 3.2 in Electrical Engineering from a good school,” Pless states, “I still consider that a good GPA.”

Personal Statement

You have few opportunities to show a law school that you can write. One, of course, is the LSAT writing sample. Luckily, Pless only looks at the sample to see if he can automatically reject somebody. “Occasionally someone will goof off on the writing sample, draw a picture, make some odd statement, etc. I will deny someone who does that.” Otherwise, he says, “the LSAT writing sample has almost zero impact on my decision.”

The personal statement, however, is looked at more substantially. This is the only chance you have to step out from the heavy cloak of numbers and show your face to the law school. Why do you want to go to UIUC? Why law school at all? The way you give your answer is just as important as the answer itself, so be sure to craft your personal statement and not just write it.

In addition, try not to be intimidated with the personal statement, as it will only delay your writing it. Note that you do not have to have a law-related epiphany while scaling Mount Kilimanjaro to impress Dean Pless. You just have to be clear about your purpose.

I am more likely to admit someone who writes very well but has kind of a boring story versus someone who is really interesting but can't write at all. Always emphasize your strengths and write about what you know.

Indeed, this is your moment to shine, and nobody can attest to who you are better than you can. Focus on your statement, revise it and edit it repeatedly, and if you plan on sending your applications out early, start writing early.

Letters of Recommendation

If applying as early as possible is indeed your plan, you may also want to ask for letters of recommendation as soon as you are able. Be mindful of who you ask, though, because very rarely, Pless notes, “we get a letter that isn't a recommendation at all.”

These letters may talk about the deficiencies of a student or may neglect to address a student’s intellectual and professional capacity. It is not the content of the letters, however, that hurts these applicants’ chances. Their chances are hurt by their poor judgment in choosing who to ask. Don’t request a recommendation from someone who can’t write a strong recommendation, and you will be fine.

Illinois Law Early Action Program (iLEAP)

The law school has a unique program that tries to get undergraduates at UIUC to apply before their senior year. Perhaps best of all, these students do not have to take the LSAT to gain admission into this top school. Dean Pless gives us a brief rundown of the program:

iLEAP is designed to keep the best Illinois students here for their legal education, and is only for UIUC undergrads. Very high performance along with significant leadership experience is what the typical admitted student would look like. The main benefit is that you know very early on and you can focus on your undergraduate studies without worrying about law school applications.

We treat the iLEAP students very well in terms of scholarships and opportunities. We want to allow these people to apply early, with enough time so if they are denied admission or choose not to accept our offer, they can apply in the normal fashion (both to Illinois and other schools).

This means we have to give them a decision before the deadline to sign up for the June LSAT before their senior year. If the student has taken the LSAT already, we will consider it. We don't prohibit them from taking the LSAT, we just don't require it. We simply don't want to force people to take it early.

We have an interview for iLEAP because all of these students are all on our campus and can all easily be interviewed. An interview will also allow me to push people a little bit and see how well they think on their feet, an important trait for an attorney.

Multiple LSAT Scores

On the brief list of things that require an addendum, we have two more things to add. If you have multiple cancellations or four instances of sitting for the test, Dean Pless starts to get concerned and wonder what is up. Write him an addendum to explain.

A low LSAT score can often be overcome by “past strong academic performance.” As a general rule, he says, it is important to “focus on your strengths.”

Disciplinary Issues

In addition to everything above, disciplinary issues should be explained in an addendum. The ones that raise red flags are “violent acts, serious drug or alcohol incidents, or academic dishonesty. Also, patterns of behavior cause concerns such as a series of alcohol incidents.”

If you are one of the many applicants who has an underage drinking ticket or “university sanction for alcohol in a dorm,” Dean Pless insists that this is not that serious and may not require that much of an explanation. Still, such incidents must be reported to the school.

The Waitlist

If you find yourself in admissions limbo, without an acceptance or a rejection to UIUC, take heart. “About [5% to 15%] of the class” comes from the waitlist each year, notes Pless. Not all hope is lost, but know that most of the activity will happen after the first deposit deadline has passed. For people who find themselves in this dreaded situation, Pless gives some advice:

A brief LOCI [Letter of Continued Interest] isn't a bad thing at all, unless the school specifically asks you not to. Odds are tough to say, it really is different every year. We don't have different levels of the waitlist, and it is not ranked.

Sometimes people use [the LOCI] as a chance to update their file with something that has happened since they applied such as an award, new grades, or a promotion.

Dean Pless has some more detailed and insightful thoughts on the waitlist and getting off of the list at his blog:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62652

Scholarships

UIUC gives an impressive amount of money out to its students. The scholarships are guaranteed for all three years, and the median award is $10,000. If you have “factors in your application that may cause you to be more desirable to other schools,” then chances are good that you will be eligible for scholarship at UIUC. Dean Pless gives some examples of such factors:

Unique work experience, personal story, or just having some characteristic that is rare in the applicant pool can result in a larger scholarship offer.

No need-based aid is given to first year students. “Our scholarships for 1Ls are all merit-based. There are some need-based scholarships available to 2nd and 3rd year students.”

Establishing Residency

A second year student gives us this website that describes how one can gain residency in Illinois. Overall, says Pless, “residency is hard to change. You must be in Illinois for non-educational purposes, which is tough to prove once you are here for school.”

A few things can get you that cheaper in-state tuition. If one of your parents lives in Illinois, you are automatically considered a resident. One expensive way to gain residency is by purchasing property in Illinois, while another way, more risqué, is to find an Illinois resident, drop down on one knee, and get that person to marry you. Since you can never plan on love, gaining residency is a crapshoot for many students, and a 2L reports that “it is possible after a year here, but not easy.”

Transferring

On transferring into UIUC from other schools, Dean Pless says:

We had 30 transfer in from DePaul, Kent, Loyola, SIU, SLU, Case, off the top of my head.

I look at the rank in the class and the quality of the school. Transfer admits are typically in the top quarter of their class. Obviously we care about character and fitness issues, recommendations, and writing ability. We also interview any candidate before they are admitted. I care very little about your UGPA or your LSAT score.

At Illinois, we do everything possible to assimilate transfers into their class, and I think we do a pretty good job. Our transfers perform at a very high level and have at graduation placement numbers that match (or sometimes exceed) that of our students who started as 1Ls.

Most of the time, the other 2Ls just assume the transfer student was in another section the year before, but since we have about 25 transfers come in each year, they almost form their own section. They usually even have their own softball team as 2Ls. By 3L year, they are completely integrated into our student body.

On the rare occasion, a student will transfer out of UIUC. Illinois makes an effort to keep such students, up to and including an increase in that student’s scholarship. “Last year, we had 4 students transfer out. 3 of them made the right decision.” Of those four, students went to Georgetown, Northwestern, NYU and Boalt (Berkeley). “The one that went to Georgetown did the early thing. I don't think anyone in her section really knew her. Boalt was from Cali and really missed it. Northwestern had a deal where he only needed a 3.0 to get in. NYU's husband worked in NYC and she missed him.” In most cases, transferring out of UIUC seems to be a tough and very personal decision.

There is a downside to just about everything, including transferring. It is hard to leave the friends that you have made and the comfort that comes from being at a place for a year. It is hard to learn about a new school all over again, and every school does things a little bit differently.

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Law School Culture

It seems that two things define the general culture of a law school – extracurricular activities and how competitive the student body is. For the latter, one helpful second year tells TLS the following:

I would not say people are outwardly uber-competitive here. I was really worried about that being the case when I came to law school, and you don't see it at all here. I don't ever hear people talking about grades, bragging about job interviews, or anything like that. People are competitive in law school, but that is just the nature of law school in general.

As for extra things to do, another second year reports back that softball, darts, and enjoying the nightlife are quite common for students. “There is room for a high quality of life” in Champaign, and many students enjoy a night out at The Blind Pig (one of the country’s best breweries) in downtown, or will spend the weekend with members of their section exploring Chicago.

“By no means am I studying around the clock,” says a current second year. “The whole month and a half or so before finals is complete hell though. Not going to lie. I literally studied all day every day for almost a month (Thanksgiving break included).” Grades are important, and since it is a top law school, says Pless, it should come as no surprise that the school has its fair share of workhounds. The law school experience is a tough one, and finals can “hit everyone like a brick wall,” according to a 2L. But people are not at each other’s throats gunning for their peers to fail. Rather, there is a good vibe, a “Midwestern niceness” that permeates UIUC and the city itself. People will greet you on the street, help you out whenever you need an outline, and will invite you to all sorts of events throughout the school year. One student gives this assessment:

I had this impression before I started law school that wherever I chose to attend, my first year was inevitably going to be miserable and I would have no life. That couldn't be further from the truth at Illinois.

You do have to work hard, but there are so many opportunities here to join clubs, play intramurals, attend social events, etc. People here are very well rounded and are able to maintain diligent study habits while having a life.

In fact, plenty of students have young families. Dean Pless thinks that this helps those individuals stay focused on doing well in school. “They tend to hang out with each other and they also tend to perform at a high level.”

The law school has a somewhat generous curve for 1L courses, and students have given no complaints regarding the 3.2 median. This may be one reason for the collegial atmosphere, but the relaxed nature of Champaign may also play a role.

Political Leanings

Pless, who attended law school at UIUC, has this to say about where people stand in the political spectrum:

Pretty evenly split, really. The faculty is more liberal, but there are a fair number of conservative professors. What I enjoyed as a student was that for most of the faculty, you didn't know what their political leanings were unless you had a private conversation with them. In class, they argued both sides.

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Professors

UIUC’s website does a good job of touting the accomplishments of its professors. They run over a half-dozen faculty blogs, which are useful if you want to get a handle on how your future teachers think about critical issues. In 2009, faculty members produced over 30 books that had to do with the law, and their backgrounds ranged from previous positions in government to experience working in business and engineering.

There are a total of 127 full-time and part-time teachers, which makes for a decent 12.3 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. The praise of professor ability is not brandished by the website alone. Current students are quick to point out how much they love their teachers.

The professors here are amazing. Just go look at their credentials on the website. Seriously, the smartest most intriguing people I have ever met. Class is fun and often funny. I honestly got teared up on the last day of one of my classes last semester because I was sad that I was not going to get to attend that class anymore, and the teacher gave a really touching send off.

Dean Pless reminds prospective students that professors are welcoming outside of the classroom and are highly accessible even though they are busy writing books or publishing articles when they are not teaching. When they are teaching, some will use the Socratic Method to keep students engaged and thinking throughout class. “Of course, it is law school and they will call you out and pull the Socratic Method out like every other law school,” says a current second year. Luckily, for those with stage fright, “you don't have to stand up or anything though.”

Students respond well to this method, giving “thorough and intelligent answers, and the pace of the classes generally flows very well,” says a 2L. Those who are attending law school because they love intellectual rigor and debate will certainly be pleased.

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Classes

You will have to study hard at UIUC. Law school is not an easy three years; all students share the first year experience and use its difficulty as an opportunity to bond. The required 1L courses are contracts, property, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, civil procedure, legal writing and analysis, introduction to advocacy, and legal research. 1Ls are allowed an elective course in their Spring semester. After that, as 2Ls and 3Ls, students fan out into whatever classes interest them most.

First year class sizes are relatively small, running at 62 students per section. Dean Pless tells us about the track that most law students follow:

In the second and third years, students are mostly free to choose from among 150 course titles to round out their legal education. Because Illinois employs a bid system of course selection that gives priority to 3Ls, it is highly unlikely that a student is unable to enroll in a certain course before graduation.

Also of note, Illinois takes pride in its relatively small class sizes, as first-year sections typically contain no more than 70 students, and most upper level courses are capped at 25 students.

Further, Illinois houses ten specialized programs, ranging from more common topics such as international law and criminal law to somewhat unique topics such as Asian law. The school’s student-edited law journal, the University of Illinois Law Review, also adds to the school’s academic prestige, as it is generally regarded as one of the finest law journals in the country.

Books

A helpful student at UIUC provides members of the TLS community the following information about books:

The bookstore has a "bag of books" for each section which is really convenient but you can also buy them online if you'd like. The bookstore usually posts a list of 1L books close to the beginning of school but you won't get your section assignment till the week before classes start so you won't know what you need until then. I can't remember exactly when we found out but I think it was a couple days before orientation.

If you're trying to save some $$, Amazon is great - also if you do end up buying a new book from the bookstore, don't write in it for a week and keep an eye out for e-mails from 2L's selling the book. The bookstore will take returns so long as they still look new.

Computer Ownership

The school has a straightforward policy regarding student computer ownership. You must have one. Specifically, the school’s website has this to say:

It is an academic requirement of the University of Illinois College of Law that students own a computer. The advantage of having a formal requirement of computer ownership is that the cost of a computer can be included in a student's budget for federal and private financial aid purposes.

Fortunately, they do not require you to purchase a new computer so long as it meets the minimum recommended computer specifications set forth by the school. You can contact the school if you have questions about these requirements. On the other hand, the law school does not dictate what sort of computer you must own. It can be a desktop or a laptop and, if you wish, “you don't have to bring a computer with you to class. You may hand-write your exam and a separate room is provided.”

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Curricular Opportunities

In the words of Dean Pless, “The strength of Illinois is our depth. We are strong in just about every area of law such as Intellectual Property, Commercial/Corporate, Tax, International, Family, Criminal, Environmental, Health Policy, Labor/Employment....” – the list is long and impressive. While some top law schools have a flagship program that towers over the rest, UIUC seems to be strong just about everywhere. This may irk some students who are interested in a particular area of the law, but it can give some comfort to the student who wants to explore various fields in search of a passion.

The law school also offers “10 scholarly areas of research, teaching and coursework,” which it calls Programs. They are not considered majors or concentrations, though faculty will help bring in speakers, lectures, conferences and symposiums that relate to issues discussed in each of these programs. A few examples are Business Law and Policy, International and Comparative Law, and Law and Philosophy. (More can be found here.) Lectures or workshops on “Debunking the Corporate Fiduciary Myth” or “The Origins of Reasonable Doubt” have been hosted by UIUC as parts of these programs, and add an opportunity for students to focus on an interesting area of the law.

Study Abroad

Once you have completed your first year of study, you are eligible to study abroad, where you must take a full course load. UIUC has partnered with various universities across the world, so you can move to Argentina, Belgium, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, or Italy and further your legal education there.

If you are interested in joining an exchange program, then your options are wider, and you can opt to study in Egypt, Hong Kong or Australia. To be eligible for any of the above programs, you would need to be in good standing with the university and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Joint Degree Programs

The law school offers joint degrees in various fields. Students can choose a secondary field of study such as Business Administration, Education, or even Veterinary Medicine. The opportunities are wide-ranging, and a full list can be found on this page.

Clinics and Externships

There are several clinical programs at UIUC. Four of them are in-house, while three are “outplacement” clinics where students can work with the State Appellate Defender’s office, do an externship with non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, or judges, or perform legislative advocacy in Springfield, the capital of Illinois.

As for how students get into clinics, Dean Pless gives some information:

Our clinics are offered through our bid system. Most students do them in their third year. If you are a third year student and make it your top bid class when you register, you will get in the clinic you want. 30 to 40% of our students participate in clinics. The most popular clinics would probably be International Human Rights and the Civil Litigation clinics.

The other two clinics offered are the Federal Civil Rights Clinic and the Domestic Violence Clinic. These clinics give students invaluable experience with good lawyering practices, which helps explain their popularity among students. Each clinic provides free legal services to those who cannot access legal representation by traditional means. While working on these projects, you are not only learning skills and earning class credit, but you are helping people solve problems that they cannot solve on their own.

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Job Placement

Undoubtedly, one of the most attractive aspects of University of Illinois College of Law is its access to the top law firms in nearby Chicago. Each year, these firms travel the short distance to Champaign to interview Illinois’ students, and not surprisingly, more Illinois alumni work in Chicago than in any other city.

Outside of Chicago and its surrounding area, Illinois enjoys an excellent reputation throughout the Midwest. Although students hoping to secure employment outside of the Midwest generally face a more difficult job search, the school’s large alumni network has spread all over the nation and promises to be an invaluable resource to all UIUC students and graduates.

While certain curricular tracks may not outshine others (since they are all top-notch), some students are in high demand, according to Dean Pless. “[Intellectual Property Law] students often find positions in law firms for their first summer. Go to any of the top IP firms (especially those in Chicago) and look at what schools the attorneys went to. You will see a lot of Illinois.”

Also, as a rule of thumb, international students do well in the Chicago market. Many law firms are interested in foreign-born attorneys and will sponsor visas for compelling candidates without batting an eye.

Some markets are easy and natural for graduates to get into. Pless says:

We are top in the top three for placing in the Chicago market along with University of Chicago and Northwestern. We may not be quite as highly ranked as them, but our students have a good reputation in the Chicago market as being intelligent and also relatable, personable, and well rounded people. I heard one employer describing us as having a "where the rubber meets the road" reputation.

Other markets are harder to break into. Pless gives a good rundown:

Large, prestigious NYC law firms only hire from the top of any class. That is true for our students as well.

Honestly, Boston is a tough market. We have alums in Boston, but I think firms in Boston like to pick people that went to school in Boston. NYC and DC are very different, for whatever reason.

A current 2L helps fill in the gaps:

You can find jobs and internships in other parts of the country with the help of the school. You may have to do a little more leg work for the internship part if you are too far removed from the Midwest, but there are a handful.

Many students tend to end up in big law firms – about 40 percent of the class. Mostly, these students work in Chicago. While there is no official grade cutoff to find any job, Dean Pless says that large firms look to hire the most competitive candidates, so “top half of the class keeps you in that game.”

Geographic Placement

The law school is about 2 hours away from Chicago (on I-57, about 125 miles). Because of this proximity, UIUC does well in a wide range of jobs. The law school has decently strong placement of students in business, industry, clerkships and government positions throughout the city. Firms have faith that Illinois graduates will provide good work for them, and all of the major firms in Chicago have generally come to perform on-campus interviews with students.

Because of its regional strength, most students stay local. Chicago is a nice city with a breadth of opportunity, so it makes sense that over half the class would want to stick around. Some students have fared well in other parts of the country, but only a small percentage end up in Los Angeles or New York City, and hardly anyone makes it to some Midwestern states. You can see a map of graduate placement by following the link.

Bar Passage

Not surprisingly, most Illinois graduates stay in-state to take the bar exam, so data is scant for how well students fare in other states. First-time takers from UIUC surpass those from many other schools, though their passage rate trails behind University of Chicago (98.9 percent) and Northwestern University (96 percent).

Summer Employment

Students who are searching for summer work in 2010 are reporting a tough time. “The economy is so awful right now,” says one 2L, “things are pretty tight for us, but there are still jobs to be had.” More positions are expected to open for the following year’s batch of students, and they will be, as usual, concentrated in Illinois and in the Midwest.

Still, there are a number of opportunities around the country, and a student says “myself and others I knew did not have a problem obtaining internships in different parts of the country - like New York and Texas - by submitting resumes to judges on our own.”

One benefit of staying in Illinois, says another 2L, is that “you can apply to jobs through Symplicity, which is an online system with job postings specifically for Illinois law (and also comes into play during OCI both 1L year and 2L year).”

Clerkships

In a normal year, about 10 to 15 percent of the graduating class will obtain a clerkship. These students are typically on a journal, as is the case at most schools, and have numbers above the school’s median GPA. Some students will “extern with a judge during their first summer,” which can help them get a clerkship after earning the J.D.

Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

Dean Pless says, regarding the school’s loan assistance program for students who work in public service:

We are a public law school committed to producing attorneys who will serve after graduation. We do have a LRAP. To qualify, you need to have a job providing direct legal services with a non-profit or government agency.

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Quality of Life

Although Champaign is a relatively small town, the many students enrolled at the various schools of UIUC converge to energize the town during the academic year. Otherwise, as college towns go, the city is open for business but relatively deserted.

Champaign houses plenty of hip bars, restaurants, and clubs at which students can pass their free time. One of the most popular places is The Blind Pig, a bar/brewery where law students (and interesting townies) are sure to be found any weekend night. Also, the competitive football and basketball teams of the university offer students the opportunity to participate in the many events that surround Big Ten athletics.

Over 40 student organizations provide law students the opportunity to get involved on campus and to become familiar with fellow students who hold similar interests, backgrounds, or ideologies. Like most Midwestern towns, Champaign’s cost of living is extremely low, and housing of all types is readily available near the law school. Traffic and crime are generally not an issue in Champaign, helping to reduce the stress levels of the many students in town.

UIUC Law’s softball team, for those interested, is “slow pitch, co-ed, [with a maximum pitch height of] 12 feet.” The law school also has students that are crazy about “darts, basketball, soccer and hockey. Usually there are teams for the flag football and broomball tourneys as well.”

There is a sport for every season, and Illinois gets all four seasons in force. “Spring is wet, but you don't care because the sun is out. Summer is a real summer and the Fall is beautiful. Lots of trees changing colors and perfect tailgating weather.” Winter is cold, and you will very likely need an ice scraper if you don’t have a garage. According to a current student, “The city does an awesome job of salting and plowing the roads and sidewalks,” so you should be fine to drive unless you take the unplowed side-roads, where you risk sliding all over the place.

Overall, says one 2L, “I am absolutely in love with UIUC. Everyone at the law school was incredibly warm and friendly and [I like] its huge sprawling campus, football fanaticism, and quad area.” Also, this student says:

The dichotomy of having the country right next to the city is pretty awesome. My apartment overlooks a huge cornfield and I can watch gorgeous sunsets from my balcony while the Meijer (large grocery store), movie theater, Starbucks, and civilization are all just a few blocks away. Of course if you are not a corn and scenery lover like I am, you can live on campus and would never even know that you were in a smaller city.

Diversity

The city of Champaign is nearly 27 percent minority, and the law school mirrors that diversity closely. About 8 percent of the student body is made up of African Americans, while about 7 percent is Hispanic-American. Asian Americans make up about 9 percent of students, and internationals come in at almost 6 percent.

Facilities

First off, a person has to get to the campus before anything else. So, about parking:

Most students park in E-14, which is across from Assembly Hall. There is a shuttle that runs every five minutes or it is about a 10-minute walk to the College. It costs $110 a year and they never run out of spaces.

There's always spots at the meters or in the law school parking lot. The law school lot is half parking meters and half parking permit. You can put your name on a list but I've heard that it takes a couple of years...if you can get a pass at all.

Once you are there, you will find yourself in the center of the city with a law library that holds over 300,000 titles. The campus grounds features walkways crosshatched over pristine green lawns. Depending on the season, the school may be auburn, white, or wet with rainwater. There are few complaints that come from students, and none of them (at least on TLS) are about the facilities.

The recreational center is a highlight of UIUC. Says a current 2L, “It’s phenomenal. There are probably 200 treadmills and elliptical machines (and every other sort of cardio machine), all of which have built in televisions and cable.” Also, there is a 1/5-mile indoor track, a climbing wall that goes up three stories, and two pools (one indoor, one outdoor). Weight equipment, badminton and basketball courts, martial arts and racquetball rooms – you name it. It was recently opened (in August 2008) and is within walking distance of the law school.

Another 2L sums it up:

[It takes up] 340,000 square feet and is one of the largest on-campus recreation centers in the country. Plus, it is so close it makes working out between classes or right after class really easy.

Housing

Finding a place to live in a new city can be daunting. One easy way to get a quick who’s who of apartments is to send an e-mail to the Tenant Union at UIUC. Request a list of apartment complexes and they will be able to tell you average prices along with how many complaints have been reported to the Tenant Union.

According to their website, they “provide FREE services including lease review, landlord complaint records, assistance locating housing and help with landlord problems.” You can also call them at (217) 333-0112.

Dean Pless tells us:

Most apartment leases won't start until August. I would suggest getting here at least the weekend before Orientation. Orientation starts August 19th, classes on August 24th. Orientation is mandatory.

Some current students have some things for prospectives to keep in mind.

If you live by yourself, a reasonable estimate is $600-$750 a month for rent although if you don't mind a slightly smaller space you can definitely find something for less… If you have roommates you can probably get your rent down to around $350-$450.

Keep in mind if you are looking for a quiet apartment and are looking at places in the western part of Champaign…the community college, Parkland, is on North Mattis and many apartments in that area are full of Parkland students. I really wish I had known that before I signed my lease because I live across the hall from a constant party.

I recommend Faron properties -- they have a nice selection of apartments and rent houses in the more historical areas of Champaign. There are some good spots near downtown Champaign.

One place not on Illini's list that a lot of law students are living at is Hessel on the Park (http://www.mckinley.com). It's within walking distance, offers furnished places, and is across the street from a supermarket. They offer a bunch of grad student discounts so a 2-bedroom ends up being about $700 a month. Also, the Pointe in Urbana is another nice place (furnished) (http://www.pointe-ui.com).

Many people use the admitted students forum to find roommates and other information about life in Urbana-Champaign. As for food costs, one student estimates about $80 to $100 for food each week.

Urbana-Champaign

The Urbana-Champaign metropolitan area has nearly 210,000 people, but the city of Champaign, where the law school is, only has about 75,000. It is a college town. As such, the downtown area is a hub of student activity. One student says, “I love the surrounding community. The town is big enough so there is always something to do on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, but there aren't so many distractions that you lose focus.”

Surprisingly to some, there is a decent music scene in the city, and at least one student recommends checking out The Canopy Club. As mentioned above, The Blind Pig is a hotspot, and during the day, students can indulge in Indian, Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, and a litany of other ethnic cuisines.

In case you decide to map the law school in relation to downtown, note that Neil and Main is generally considered downtown. Near where the streets intersect, there is a train station and many bars for about a four-block radius.

One 1L gives this detailed report on the downtown area:

Downtown Champaign is a fine area. The main bus/train terminal is downtown, so bus access to the law school is not a problem. There are a lot of great restaurants and bars and a couple of coffee shops.

If you enjoy that smaller-city, local vibe, you'll get it here. There is a really nice park with free WiFi on the west side of Downtown Champaign, aptly named Westside Park. I prefer the nightlife downtown to that in the college area, and because it's within walking distance, I never have to worry about driving.

Numerous law school events take place there, including Beer League Darts. The law students who enjoy a good night out tend to gravitate toward downtown, and this has worked in my favor. A few students, who tend to be just out of undergrad or who attended UIUC for undergrad, seem to stick to campus establishments for their nights out. The streets and neighborhoods to the west and south west of downtown are charming. Scenic, with great character. A pleasant environment for a walk or jog. The Champaign public library downtown is a great alternative to the law school library. Some law students live really close to campus, some in or near downtown, and many others scattered about in other areas more distant from the law school.

For the “closet hippie,” as one student puts it, there are two organic food stores, Strawberry Fields and Common Ground. For the non-closet hippie, students have counted three Walmarts and two Meijers (a grocery chain) within the city limits.

And finally, for the golf-lovers, one student tells TLS, “Urbana Park District has a nine-hole course at Lohmann Park.”

Indebtedness

Living in a small town can have its perks. Students who graduated in 2008 had an average debt of $76,112, which is low compared with other top schools. This is one of the lowest debt-upon-graduation figures that a student will find in the T25. Among similarly-ranked institutions, UIUC stands tall, as Emory, Boston University, U Minnesota-Twin Cities, Indiana U-Bloomington, and Notre Dame all have students graduating with an average debt above $80,000.

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Extracurricular Opportunities

There are many student organizations at UIUC. Students have a wide range of opportunities to get involved in their spare time. Current law students warn against the dangers of taking on too much, but that is a risk for every overzealous 1L at UIUC. There are a vast number of awards for those who are active in the law school community.

Worth noting are the five law journals. The website states the value of working on a journal very simply: “Membership on a journal or other publication advances your legal career.” Dean Pless elaborates on the process of earning a spot:

The journal spots are a hybrid. The top five people in each section have an easier path. They must compete in the writing competition, but they only need to finish in the top 75%. All other spots for Law Review, Elder Law and the Journal of Law, Technology and Policy are from the top performers in the writing competition. A little more than half of our students are on a journal.

There are also competitive organizations at UIUC, including seven internal moot court competitions throughout the year. Law students have also practiced in eight external moot court competitions against students around the country.

Students can also engage in trial advocacy, which consists of case preparation for either a criminal or civil jury trial. These mock events help you learn the law in a practical setting, and earn you valuable talking points when going through on-campus interviewing or seeking employment otherwise.

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Conclusion

To wrap this up, one second year has some words of wisdom:

As a general note, don't be afraid of law school at all. I was so incredibly intimidated and nervous before I started school here. You do have to work hard, but it is not a scary experience. It is an incredibly fun, exciting, and enlightening experience.

That said, remember that UIUC is one of the best law schools in the country. Students are happy to be there, the faculty is happy to be there, and employers are happy to hire its graduates. The legal economy will change some things, but, if recent events are an indication of things to come, UIUC will continue to look out for its students.

As indicated by its across-the-board fee waiver, the law school is generous even with those who only desire membership in the UIUC community. If you can attend the school at the lower tuition rate, this may leave you in less-than-average debt. Add onto this the school’s LRAP and Champaign’s low cost of living, and you have little to worry about as a graduate except grades and obtaining hard-to-get summer work.

Overall, UIUC is a wise, fruitful, and serious investment. Students should not take the decision to attend lightly, but there is nothing that says students should pay much attention to doomsday predictions about the bursting of a lawyer bubble. The Chicago legal market is expected to rebound, at least slightly, and UIUC, as one of the main feeder schools into this market, is well-positioned for when it does.

Interview: Assistant Dean of Admissions Paul Pless of UIUC Law

Contact Information

University of Illinois College of Law
Office of Admissions
504 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL, 61820
(217) 244-6415
admissions@law.uiuc.edu
www.law.uiuc.edu

Quick Facts

U.S. News & World Report Ranking: 23rd
LSAT Median: 166
GPA Median: 3.8
Application Deadline: March 15
Application fee: Waived for Class of 2013
Entering class size: 232
Yearly Tuition: Resident, $33,000; Nonresident, $40,000
Bar passage rate in Illinois: 94.7%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 98.7%
Median private sector salary: $145,000