With the help of its convenient location in Hyde Park, a suburb of Chicago, and its lengthy tradition of academic excellence, The University of Chicago Law School boasts one of the highest student placement rates of any law school in the country. Only Columbia ranks higher in placing students in top-250 law firms.
The University of Chicago Law School has one of the smallest students bodies of top law schools, with around 600 students. This allows students an ample amount of face time with professors, especially since there are only approximately nine students for every professor. Time spent with professors should be enjoyable as The University of Chicago Law School boasts of a faculty body considered to be on par with any other top law school, with many of the professors considered to be highly respected professional of their field. Professors are also known to take great pride in their teaching ability, going so far as to consider it embarrassing to receive a negative review from a student.
The University of Chicago Law School operates on a unique quarter system rather than the traditional semester schedule. Classes take place during three shortened terms. Time restraints force classes to be shortened, although some may stretch across multiple terms. This permits students to take three different sets of classes during the year and allows students the chance to take a broader range of classes.
The University of Chicago Law School is one of the hardest schools to be accepted to, as would be expected of one of the top law schools in the country. Over 5,000 prospective students applied in 2011, all of them hoping to be chosen for one of only 191 positions. Students interested in applying should note that Chicago seems to place more weight on an applicant’s LSAT scores than other law schools.
Specialties: International Law, Law and Economics, Corporate and Transactional Law, Legal History, Law and Philosophy
Tuition: $47,502
Estimated Total Cost of Attendance per Year: $70, 935
Percentage of Students Offered Admission: 18%
Total Enrollment: 633
Median LSAT Score: 171
25th – 75th percentile LSAT: 169 – 173
Median GPA: 3.87
25th – 75th percentile GPA: 3.71 – 3.94
Application Deadline for Early Decision: December 1st
Application Deadline: February 1st
Application Fee: $75
2010 Term Judicial Clerkships: 47
Greg Smith
Greg took the LSAT in 2002 receiving a high score that got him into the law school of his choice. This led him to teach LSAT classes while attending law school at the University of British Columbia and continued teaching while practicing law with top international law firms Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and later Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, in the area of Securities and Capital Markets. Read more
