University of Illinois College of Law

U.S. News ranks the University of Illinois College of Law 35th in the United States. U.S. News rankings are based on various factors, including quality of teaching, research, and job placement. The University of Illinois has a long history of excellence in legal education, and its graduates have gone on to successful careers in law, business, and public service. The college offers various programs to meet its students' needs, including a JD program, LLM and SJD programs, and joint degrees with other schools at the university. The University of Illinois is committed to providing an excellent legal education to its students and preparing them for successful careers.

History

Located in the twin cities of Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois College of Law is a top-tier public law school that has been educating lawyers since 1897. Legal employers highly respect the college throughout the Midwest region, and graduates are in high demand. UIUC provides an excellent education in a quiet setting, away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. This makes it an attractive choice for many students who want to focus on their studies and prepare for a successful career in law.

The University of Illinois College of Law is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and is a founding member of the Association of American Law Schools. The college is also on the first national list of law schools approved by the American Bar Association. Illinois has produced many great legal scholars and writers and is home to the first chapter of the Order of the Coif. The Council approves the college of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the American Bar Association.

Admissions

The University of Illinois College of Law recruits individuals with the ability, character, and life experience to become exceptional lawyers and leaders. In its holistic review of applicants, the University of Illinois College of Law values intelligence, integrity, creativity, grit, public spiritedness, teamwork, hard work, diversity, and a global perspective. Students come from across the world to share ideas, learn collaboratively, and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in complex, high-profile professional settings. You are welcome to apply. There is no application fee. If you're unsure about applying to law school or just beginning the application process, please take the time to read some of the excellent pre-law articles found here.

Statistics

Admissions Stats
Class of:	2020-2021	2021-2022
25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT	156 - 162 - 164	162 - 164 - 166
25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA	3.31 - 3.64 - 3.79	3.44 - 3.66 - 3.82
Acceptance rate	42.5%	29.8%
Applications received	1145	1926
Acceptances	487	574
Matriculants	399	444

The median LSAT score for the 1L class at the University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign is 164. The 25th percentile LSAT score is 162 and the 75th percentile LSAT score is 166. The median GPA for the 1L class at the University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign is 3.66. The 25th percentile GPA is 3.44 and the 75th percentile GPA is 3.82.

Acceptance Rate

The University of Illinois College of Law received 1,926 applications during the 2022 admissions cycle. Of those applicants, 574 were offered admission. 203 out of the 574 offered admission accepted, yielding a 35.37% attendance rate.

Admissions Basics

The University of Illinois College of Law accepts applications for the fall semester starting on September 1. All applicants must apply to the college by submitting materials through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and registering with the LSAC Credential Assembly Services (CAS). The school only accepts applications submitted electronically through LSAC. Before starting the application process, applicants should read the Application Instructions included with the LSAC Electronic Application.

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 median, applying early becomes more important. One number must be at the school's median for these applicants to remain competitive. 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 1st. 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, suppose 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. In that case, you can improve your chances of admission.

Resume

The school requires a detailed résumé listing your educational history, extracurricular activities, community and volunteer activities, and all full- or part-time work experience. To read some advice about creating a professional law school resume, click here.

Personal Statement

A personal statement is an important part of every law school application. It allows you to demonstrate what you will contribute to the school community and your future professional life. A personal statement that narrowly focuses on one particular attribute or experience is more helpful to the admissions committee than a broad statement about the law or a rehashing of your resume. By carefully choosing what to include in your statement, you can give the admissions committee a glimpse into who you are as a person and what kind of lawyer you will be.

In addition, try not to be intimidated by the personal statement, as it will only delay your writing. Note that you do not have to have a law-related epiphany while scaling Mount Kilimanjaro to impress the UIUC admissions office. 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 start writing early if you plan on sending your applications out early. For personal statements and application essays, check out the TLS Guide to Personal Statements.

Letters of Recommendation

University of Illinois College of Law requires two letters of recommendation but will accept up to four. The letters should come from someone who knows you well academically or professionally and can speak to your intellectual promise and personal qualities. Letters of recommendation should provide insight into your ability to succeed in law school and beyond. For additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.

Multiple LSAT Scores

All applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test and submit a valid LSAT score. An LSAT score is considered valid if it was received within five years of the date of your application. You must submit all LSAT scores that you have received.

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, behavior patterns cause concerns such as alcohol incidents."

If you are one of the many applicants who have an underage drinking ticket or "university sanction for alcohol in a dorm," one admissions officer 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

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

A brief LOCI [Letter of Continued Interest] isn't bad 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.

Establishing Residency

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 potentially expensive way to gain residency is by purchasing real property in Illinois, while another way is to marry an Illinois resident. Since you can never plan on love, gaining residency is a crapshoot for many students, and one student said that "it is possible after a year here, but not easy."

Tuition and Expenses

Law school is a significant investment in your professional future. As a public law school on a land-grant university campus, the College of Law is committed to educational accessibility, affordability, and a strong return on investment.

Cost of Attendance

The University of Illinois College of Law guarantees that JD students will have a frozen tuition rate over all three years their legal studies. Additionally, scholarships are unconditional as long as the recipient remains enrolled. The cost of attendance for the 2022-23 academic year is listed below for each degree program. This cost includes tuition, fees, and estimated living expenses.

JD Cost of Attendance
	Resident	Non-Resident
Tuition	$36,500	$46,500
Fees	$5,157	$5,157
Room & Board	$13,554	$13,554
Books and Supplies	$1,800	$1,800
Other Expenses	$2,750	$3,090
Total Cost of Attendance	$59,761	$70,101

Scholarships

UIUC gives an impressive amount of money to its students. The scholarships are guaranteed for all three years, and the median award is almost $20,000. 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 a scholarship at UIUC. One admissions representative gives some examples of such factors:

Unique work experience, personal story, or just having a rare characteristic 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."

Transferring

Transfer students receive the numerous benefits of the excellent academic environment at the University of Illinois College of Law, including opportunities to learn from renowned scholars who are influencing the legal and regulatory underpinnings of the profession’s core. The College’s administration, faculty, and staff work to integrate incoming transfer students into the life of the school. From Law Review to Trial Advocacy to the Student Bar Association, transfer students have every opportunity to enjoy and benefit from all the College offers.

Generally, transfer applicants are evaluated based on academic achievement at their current institution, writing ability, and other factors relevant to first-year admissions.

On transferring into UIUC from other schools, one UIUC administrator said:

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

I look at the class's rank and the school's quality. Transfer admits are typically in the top quarter of their class. 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 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 about 25 transfers come in each year, they almost form their section. They usually even have their softball team as 2Ls. By 3L year, they are completely integrated into our student body.

On rare occasions, 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. To read a fantastic article about transferring, click here.

Law School Culture

Illinois law students are smart, driven, and passionate. Here, you can pursue your interests and make lasting relationships in our vibrant community. The University of Illinois College of Law is committed to diversity and inclusion, as these are essential challenges their society faces. Discrimination can have many negative effects, so they must work to overcome these issues. They can progress toward a more inclusive society by coming together and valuing diversity.

Diversity

The University of Illinois College of Law is among the most diverse colleges in the United States. With students from over 113 countries, it is no wonder that this college is so popular among international students. The college also has a high percentage of minority students, with 28% of the student population being minorities. This makes the University of Illinois College of Law one of the most welcoming and inclusive colleges in the United States. Additionally, the college has students from all over the country, with 29 states being represented in the 1L class. This makes it easy for students to find a community they can feel a part of, no matter where they come from. Finally, the University of Illinois College of Law is ranked number 1 in the Midwest for having the most students of color. This is another reason the University of Illinois College of Law is an excellent choice for students looking for a diverse and inclusive college experience.

Jumpstart

The College of Law participates in Jumpstart, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism law school preparation program. Jumpstart is an educational program established to support first-year minority law students who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession. The curriculum, designed in collaboration with law schools, provides context for success in law school and beyond.

Coursework

Our curriculum strives to weave in legal issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our many course offerings.

Racial Justice Practicum

The University of Illinois College of Law has launched a Racial Justice Practicum to help address racial injustice in the legal profession. The Practicum consists of a classroom component as well as work experience.

Students participate in a one-week virtual class held during the late spring, focusing specifically on racial justice as it relates to the legal profession. Topics addressed include relevant constitutional legal principles, labor and employment issues, immigration, bankruptcy, health care legislation, and criminal justice and its effects on people of color in America.

Summer externship placements with legal aid agencies or non-profit organizations representing populations affected by racism in Illinois and elsewhere across the nation provide students with experiential opportunities to serve clients wrestling with racial justice issues.

Professors

The University of Illinois’ law faculty has a long and distinguished tradition of advancing scholarship and research, training students in the knowledge, skills, and temperament to achieve professional excellence and leadership, and seeking beneficial change in law and society. They are:

• Industry leaders
• Acclaimed teachers
• Interdisciplinary experts
• Committed to public engagement

Classes

Illinois Law students are talented and ambitious, academically strong, and geographically and experientially diverse. They are competitive yet collegial and place a high value on teamwork. Many actively engage in the array of opportunities available outside the classroom.

According to the law school:

The first-year curriculum exposes students to the foundational elements of the law, including civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, torts, introduction to advocacy, and legal research and writing. Section sizes are small, with half of a student's first-year classes taught in roughly 40-50 and the other half taught in sections of roughly 30. After the first year, students can explore a rich curriculum with more than 100 course offerings, including five in-house clinics, six field placement programs, and an array of externships, moot court activities, negotiation exercises, and other co-curricular offerings. Students may receive up to six hours of credit for study in another discipline, complementing their legal education with advanced coursework in top-ranked University departments, such as accounting, engineering, computer science, and social work.

There are several clinical programs at UIUC. Four 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.

The other two clinics 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 also helping people solve problems they cannot solve on their own.

The Chicago Program allows 3Ls to take classes downtown Chicago from Chicago lawyers, judges, and UIUC faculty.

Illinois offers 12 joint-degree programs in law and other disciplines, including business, chemistry, computer science, human resources, journalism, medicine, natural resources, environmental sciences, philosophy, political science, urban planning, and veterinary medicine.

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 where 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 university's competitive football and basketball teams offer students the opportunity to participate in the many events surrounding Big Ten athletics.

Over 40 student organizations allow law students to get involved on campus and become familiar with fellow students with 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 likely need an ice scraper if you don't have a garage. According to a former 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, one former student said, "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 said:

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.

Facilities

First off, one must get to the campus. So, about parking:

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

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

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

The recreational center is a highlight of UIUC. A former student said: "It's phenomenal. There are probably 200 treadmills and elliptical machines (and every other 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 opened in August 2008 and is within walking distance of the law school.

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.

Some former 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 233,000 people, but the city of Champaign, where the law school is, only has about 81,000. It is a college town, so the downtown area is a hub of student activity. One student said, "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 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 former student gave 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.

You'll get it here if you enjoy that smaller-city, local vibe. There is a 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, which has worked in my favor. A few students who are just out of undergrad or attended UIUC for undergrad seem to stick to campus establishments for their nights out. The streets and neighborhoods to the west and southwest 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 close to campus, some in or near downtown, and many others scattered about in areas more distant from the law school.

For the "closet hippie," as one student put it, there are two organic food stores, Strawberry Fields and Common Ground. Students have counted three Walmarts and two Meijers (a grocery chain) within the city limits.

Finally, for golf lovers, one student told TLS, "Urbana Park District has a nine-hole course at Lohmann Park."

Extracurricular

There are many student organizations at UIUC. Students have many 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 many awards for those who are active in the law school community.

Worth noting are the five law journals. The website simply states the value of working in a journal: "Membership on a journal or other publication advances your legal career." One administrator elaborated 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 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.

Contact Information

University of Illinois College of Law
Admissions Office
504 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-0931
Fax: (217) 244-1478

Email:law-admissions@illinois.edu
www.law.illinois.edu

Summary

Established	1897
Location	Champaign, IL
Dean	Vikram Amar
2022 US News Ranking	35th
LSAT Median Score	164
GPA Median Score	3.66
Bar Passage Rate	90% (2022)
Employment Rate	63% (2022)
Cost	$36,500 (Resident) $46,500 (Non-Resident)
Average Debt	$72,952
Application Deadline	March 15, 2023

Forum and Discussion

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Reference

https://law.illinois.edu/
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