When researching the best law schools in Illinois, you can’t help but think Lincoln the lawyer would be proud that there are so many great law programs in his adopted home state. From those in the bustling city of Chicago to law schools in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois has lots of good options when it comes to earning your JD. In fact, two of the top ten law schools in the country are in Illinois.
To give you an overview of the options available, we’re detailing what makes Illinois law schools special and highlighting key information you’ll need to know as an applicant.
Keep reading to see what makes each Illinois law school stand out and what you’ll need to be competitive.
Top 6 Law Schools in Illinois
- University of Chicago
- Northwestern University (Pritzker)
- University of Illinois –Urbana-Campaign
- Loyola University Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent)
- DePaul University
1.University of Chicago
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #3
Tuition: $81,069 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.94
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 173
Acceptance Rate: 12.7%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 97.1%
When it comes to the best law schools in Illinois, the University of Chicago is kind of in a league of its own. It has a very strong reputation among lawyers and is considered one of the most prestigious law schools in the world.
The school’s specialty rankings illustrate why it’s held in such high regard. The University of Chicago comes in #1 for contracts/commercial law, #2 for business and corporate law, #2 for constitutional law, and #6 in tax law. It also ranked #1 for the most graduates with federal clerkships.
The law program here is rooted in the philosophy that ideas matter and are inherently worth discussing. This spirit is reflected in an axiom the faculty seeks to instill in all their students: a legal education is about learning for the sake of learning, not earning. Accordingly, students are expected to engage in regular, thoughtful discussions with their professors about the law.
In their first year of training, students are enrolled in the Harry. A. Bigelow Legal Research and Writing Program, which trains them in the research and writing skills that are necessary to be a competent lawyer. Upper-level courses include Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, and Legal History.
Legal clinics at the University of Chicago include the Edwin F. Mandel Legal Clinic, the Exoneration Project Clinic, the Innovation Clinic, the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship, the Jenner & Block Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic, and the Kirkland & Ellis Corporate Lab Clinic.
The University of Chicago has over 60 student legal organizations, including the American Barbell Association, American Constitution Society, Criminal Law Society, Entertainment & Sports Law Society, Hemingway Society, National Lawyers Guild, and Silence Dogood Society.
Given the admissions standards at the school, you’ll need to have close to a 4.0 GPA and an LSAT score of about 173 to be considered a competitive applicant.
2. Northwestern University (Pritzker)
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #10 (Tie)
Tuition: $77,532 (full-time)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.95
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 172
Acceptance Rate: 15.4%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 91.6%
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law has been ranking in the T-14 law schools ever since U.S. News and World Report began publishing its top law school rankings. Fun fact: it was founded in 1859 and was the first law school established in Chicago! Notable alumni include Arthur Goldberg of the United States Supreme Court and Harold Washington, the first African American mayor of Chicago.
When it comes to specialty rankings, Northwestern is #1 in law schools with the most graduates working at big law firms, #3 in tax law, #7 in dispute resolution, #12 in business/corporate law, #12 in clinical training, #13 in contracts/commercial law, #14 in constitutional law, and #15 in criminal law.
Pritzker has a number of attractive program options to choose from, including their accelerated JD program that only takes two years to complete. Students also have the option of enrolling in dual degrees, including a JD/MBA in conjunction with the Kellogg School of Management or a JD/PhD with the Northwestern Graduate School.
Northwestern has over a dozen legal clinics, including the Bartlit Center for Trial Advocacy, the Center for International Human Rights, the Center on Wrongful Convictions, the Children and Family Justice Center, and the Environmental Advocacy Center.
There are over 50 student organizations at Pritzker, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Constitution Society, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Disability Law Society, the Election Law Association, and the Student Mental Health Alliance.
When it comes to admissions, the school considers a number of factors besides GPA and LSAT scores. These include your maturity and interpersonal skills (as assessed during an interview), how you’ll fit in with the collaborative nature of the program, and your work experience. According to the school’s website, this last factor is especially important in the admissions process. In fact, about 85% of Northwestern University law students have had at least one year of full-time work experience.
The median undergrad GPA of program entrants is 4.95 and the median LSAT score is 172.
3. University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #48
Tuition: $39,877 (in-state)
Median GPA of Program Entrants: 3.77
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 165
Acceptance Rate: 46.8%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 72.5%
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (also known as UIUC) is the flagship institution of the University of Illinois. Not only that, the school is consistently ranked as one of the top public universities in the U.S. With the academic prestige comes a wealth of history and culture. Its campus is home to two National Historic Landmarks and several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
When it comes to specialty rankings, UIUC comes in at #30 in contracts/commercial law, #35 in dispute resolution, and #37 in law schools with the most graduates in federal clerkships.
The UIUC curriculum is somewhat unique in that students have a number of joint degree options available to them. You can pair a JD with a master’s degree in a variety of fields, including computer science, human resources and industrial relations, journalism, natural resources and environmental sciences, library and information science, political science, and urban planning. Through the Interdisciplinary Program, you can pair your JD with any other degree program (master’s or PhD).
If you’d like to get some experience in the big city, students in the Chicago Program can take classes at the Illini Center in downtown Chicago, the Chicago Bar Association, and in the offices of several preeminent Chicago law firms.
Law clinics at UIUC include (but aren’t limited to) the Family Advocacy Clinic, the First Amendment Clinic, the Immigration Law Clinic, the Intellectual Property Clinic (patent), the Intellectual Property Clinic (trademark), and the Veterans Legal Clinic.
There are over 30 student organizations at UIUC, including the American Constitution Society, Bar None, the Criminal Law Society, the Fashion Law Society, Lawyers in AI, the Real Estate Law Society, and the Space Law Society.
UIUC may not currently be a top 10 U.S. law school like the first two entries on our list, but it’s still one of the best law schools in Illinois. If you want to go there, you’ll need to work hard in order to be a competitive candidate.
With a median GPA of 3.77 and a median LSAT of 165 for all program entrants, you’ll need to have a strong application to be admitted. That said, the school’s acceptance rate of 46.8% is much higher than that of either the University of Chicago or Northwestern.
4. Loyola University Chicago
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #79
Tuition: $57,170
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.6
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 160
Acceptance Rate: 43%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 83.6%
Loyola University Chicago is next on our list of the best law schools in Illinois. This Jesuit law school has two beautiful campuses overlooking Lake Michigan. Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, students who go here have a ton of access to diversity, city life, and networking opportunities.
When it comes to law school specialty rankings, Loyola Law School comes in at #4 for healthcare law, #13 for part-time law, #21 in trial advocacy, and #29 in dispute resolution.
Students can pursue a law degree on a part-time or full-time basis. And there are numerous dual degree options available. Loyola students can pair their JD with an MA in political science, an MBA, an MPP (Master of Public Policy), or an MSW (Master of Social Work).
Loyola’s Moot Court, Mock Trial, and Dispute Resolution Teams allow students to participate in trial, appellate, and dispute resolution simulations.
Some of the clinics at Loyola include the Loyola Community Law Center, the Legislation and Policy Clinic, the Federal Tax Clinic, and the Business Law Clinic.
Loyola University Chicago has an extensive list of partners and institutional connections including the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy, the Civitas Child Law Center, and the Curt and Linda Rodin Center for Social Justice.
There are more than 30 law student organizations at Loyola, including the American Constitution Society, the Art Law Society, the Criminal Law Union, the Health Law Society, the Real Estate and Construction Law Society, and the Trust and Estate Law Society.
Before applying, keep in mind that the median GPA and LSAT scores of successful applicants are 3.6 and 160, respectively. That said, the acceptance rate at Loyola University Chicago is fairly high at 43%.
Given the school’s specialty rankings, Loyola may be an especially good option if you’re interested in healthcare law or going to school part-time.
5. Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent)
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #107 (Tie)
Tuition: $54,170
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.74
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 160
Acceptance Rate: 49.4%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 84.1%
Located in the heart of Chicago’s downtown loop in a glittering forest of iconic skyscrapers, the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law is the second-oldest law school in the state of Illinois. It’s also the only Illinois law school on our list that’s part of a leading tech university. This unique combination attracts many applicants who seek to guide clients through the ever- expanding frontier created by the intersection of law and technology.
An enthusiasm for exploring the legal aspects of technical innovation is reflected in the school’s specialty rankings. The Chicago-Kent College of Law comes in at #9 for intellectual property law and #12 for trial advocacy. The school also comes in at #14 in part-time law if you aren’t looking to go to school full-time.
As many of the school’s instructors have expertise on issues surrounding technological innovation, a good part of the curriculum focuses on subjects like online contracts and consent, legal analytics, blockchain/cryptocurrency, and virtual court hearings. The school also offers a number of joint degree options, including but not limited to JD/MBA, JD/MS in Finance, and a JD/MS in Sustainability Analytics and Management.
Clinics at the Chicago-Kent College of Law include (but aren’t limited to) Criminal Defense Litigation, Civil Litigation, Employee Benefit Claims, Estate Planning, Probate & Transactional Law, and Immigration Law.
The C-K Law Group (the Law Offices of Chicago-Kent) allows students to work with practicing attorneys (not just faculty) during their first year of school. This gives them real legal experience early in their training.
There are over 30 student organizations to join at Chicago-Kent, including the American Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Constitution Society, the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, the China Law Society, the Cyber Security and Data Privacy Society, the Student Humanitarian Network, and the First-Generation Law Student Association.
If you plan on applying to the Chicago-Kent College of Law, please keep in mind the median GPA and LSAT scores of program entrants are 3.74 and 160, respectively. On the flip side, the school does have a fairly high acceptance rate of 49.4%.
The school may be an especially good option if you’re interested in the intersection of the law and technology or want to go to school on a part-time basis.
6. DePaul University
U.S. News Top Law School Ranking: #133
Tuition: $54,218
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.65
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 158
Acceptance Rate: 45.4%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 75%
Rounding out our list of the best law schools in Illinois is DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the U.S. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the school has two campuses in Chicago, one in Lincoln Park and another downtown in the Loop. Law students study at the Loop campus, where approximately 7,900 graduate/law students attend class.
When it comes to law school specialty rankings, DePaul comes in at #26 in health care law, #27 in law schools with the most graduates in public interest law, #34 in part-time law, #35 in intellectual property law, and #56 in trial advocacy.
Students at DePaul can supplement their JD by earning additional certificates in a variety of areas, including (but not limited to) business law, criminal law, family law, and healthcare compliance.
DePaul students can pursue a variety of joint degree options through the College of Law, the Kellstat Graduate School of Business, the Jarvis College of Computing, the College of Communication, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and the School of Public Service.
Legal clinics at DePaul include Asylum & Immigration, Business Law, Civil Litigation & Health Law, Criminal Appeals, Family Law, International Human Rights, and Technology/Intellectual Property.
Student organizations at DePaul include (but aren’t limited to) the American Constitution Society, the Appellate Team of the Moot Court Society, the Art and Cultural Heritage Law Society, the Intellectual Property Law Society, and the International Law Society.
While DePaul comes in at number six on our list of the best law schools in Illinois, keep in mind that the median undergraduate GPA of all program entrants is 3.65. On the other hand, the median LSAT score is 158, which is above average but attainable for many applicants. And the school has a relatively high acceptance rate of 45.4%.
How Do I Get Accepted to a Law School in Illinois?
Whether you’re applying to the best law school in Illinois or another part of the country, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT scores for law school, all of them have median LSAT scores that give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class.
Remember, law schools want to attract the best of the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate shot by getting a high LSAT score.
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